The Second Sixth Titan
by BrokenWings00
Summary: Meet Em, a teenage girl with extraordinary powers and a mysterious past. Follow her story as she teaches the Titans about themselves and each other. Major RobStar, Minor BBRae. Read the author's note at the beginning and all shall be explained.
1. The Stranger

THE FOLLOWING IS A VERY LONG AND IRRITATING AUTHOR'S NOTE. THE STORY STARTS AFTER ALL THE NONSENSE

First of all, congratulations. You are now officially viewing what is considered by many to be the longest and most famous story to ever be put on the Robin and Starfire Shrine. I'm not just being an arrogant prick by saying that. Normally I would never say something like that. But it's true. Weird, right?

Anyway, I feel I should do a little explaining. I started writing this when I was like thirteen. It was just because I had this idea in my head that I wanted to unload. Therefore, the story is by no means any good. The main character is a Mary Sue, the plot is so cliché-ridden it's sickening, much of the grammar is nonexistent, the characters are OOC, and the format is misshapen and ugly. But, by some miracle, people started to read it. And then it exploded to a fame no one could have possibly imagined. It was the longest and most read story on the Shrine. It spawned fanworks about fanworks. Crazy. It took me about two years to write it, but toward the end I lost my steam (and, frankly, interest) and let down my loyal fans with some crap ending. After which I deleted it off make up for such atrocities to the fan world... I guess... I decided to put it back up so my dear loyal readers can scan over it to their heart's content and chuckle amiably with each other about the good old days. Or something.

What I'm trying to get at through all this is simple. No matter what comments you make, it will not change. No matter how many flames I get, I will not respond. And no matter how many unfavorable criticisms I receive, I will not be bothered. This thing is old, and I'm already darn enough ashamed of it. And honestly, I don't have the time to go through and make it any better. I have a life now, thanks. So go ahead. Comment. Tell me what a piece of shizah it is. Many of these opinions are completely founded in truth. I won't argue. Unless it's something stupid, like "u spelld tayble rong omg lewzer!!!1?" In which case I will politely respond, "The word is spelled 'table', you insufferable twit."

I will go ahead and point out that the writing gets better as the story goes on, because while I was writing my skills were slowly progressing. But the stupid mistakes and plotlessness still about, so I apologize if your eyes start bleeding or you find yourself unable to stop vomiting. You have been warned.

This story is really only seeing the light of day again for the sake of memories with my reader buddies, by which I have been affectionately dubbed BW. And to these reader buddies I say this: if I see one comment about throwing bricks, I will totally go Ace all over your asses. Haha, I mean that in the best way possible.

Cheers,

BW

Disclaimer: I do not now, nor will I in any chapters hereafter, own Teen Titans. If I ever do happen to inherit the idea, I will be sure to let you know.

* * *

**The Second Sixth Titan**

This is the story of a girl with extraordinary powers. Her powers were many, and her powers were strong. People thought she had no weaknesses. They were mistaken. This is the story of a girl with many small weaknesses hidden just beneath the surface. She tucked them away, kept them secret, and when they were found, they nearly destroyed her. This is the story of a girl who risked her life daily to keep a city safe because she had a gift. She fought for what was right alongside friends who were just like her, but so very different. This is the story of a girl…

**Chapter One:** The Stranger

"What is this place?" Starfire whispered, her voice trembling slightly.

"The slums. We're still in Jump City, just a different side," Robin explained.

The Teen Titans stood on a short building near the outskirts of Jump City in the early morning, looking out at the one place they had never visited. The rundowns of Jump City were as unpleasant as any slums. Poverty echoed down the streets. Graffiti covered every wall that wasn't in shambles. Few windows were unbroken.

"There's crime written all over this hood. How come we've never been down here before?" Cyborg asked, obviously outraged.

"We've never been called," Robin replied, just as angry. They could have helped here if they had only known.

"So why'd they call us now?" Beast Boy shouted, angry over being woken up.

A massive dragon-like creature with brown scales, silver spikes and glowing purple eyes reared onto its hind legs, bursting up over the skyline and blowing orange flames into the streets. Robin and Raven both turned around and looked at Beast Boy.

"Oh… eheh, that's why…" he said, smiling sheepishly.

Starfire on the other hand, took one look at the beast and gasped. "That is a Tamaranian yarkblat! How did it get here?"

Robin spotted a metal collar around the dragon's neck bearing a large, glowing jewel identical to the one that Blackfire wore on her neck guard.

Beast Boy saw it too. "Let's see," he said, pretending to think. "Who do we know who's from Tamaran, has access to evil, mind-controlling collar technology, and wants us all to be nasty little smears on the ground?! Here's a hint: starts with a 'B,' ends with a 'lackfire!'"

"Don't you mean ends with an 'itch-'" Raven began, but Robin cut her off with a loud, conveniently timed cough.

Star didn't catch on, but she knew who they were talking about. "But why would Blackfire send this creature to the 'sulms?'"

"It's 'slums' Star-" Robin corrected as his communicator beeped. He flipped it open to reveal Blackfire on the mini screen.

"Hey kids. Thought I'd send you a little present. The coordinates were a little off, but I assume you were smart enough to find him. Have fun! Oh, and Raven, I'm flattered," she laughed, and the transmission cut out.

"I traced it. She's nowhere in our galaxy," Cyborg said, reading the screen on his arm.

"Then we just have to take it down. Titans, go!" Robin shouted, and the five super-powered teens charged into battle.

It wasn't long before the Titans realized they were losing. Blackfire had created a nice little backpack for the yarkblat which consisted of five containment bubbles. Four were filled. Starfire, Cyborg, Beast Boy, and Raven had been caught by the beast and were desperately trying (and failing) to escape their confinement.

Meanwhile, Robin was on the massive dragon's long snout, ruthlessly pummeling the rock-hard scales with his bo staff and achieving absolutely nothing in the process. With one mighty swipe of the yarkblat's claw, Robin was thrown from an incredible height and was falling fast.

He whipped out a birdarang and shot it around the dragon's snout, tying the rope around his belt to give his hands freedom to punch and throw projectiles. He was hanging there, fifty feet from the ground, swinging toward the beast's chest, when the creature curled its claws around the rope and ripped Robin's belt off. Starfire screamed.

Robin was used to falling, but he usually had some kind of tool to keep him from the ground. With his belt gone (now lying on the ground at the yarkblat's feet), he was a goner. He closed his eyes and held his breath. But then he felt two hands grab him by his underarms, catching him in mid-fall. "Starfire?" he said immediately, but looked up and saw the determined face of an unfamiliar girl.

Three things crossed Robin's mind in rapid succession: One- _this girl isn't Starfire._ Two- _holy crap, this girl can fly!_ Three- _oh dear lord, who is this girl?!_


	2. It's Elementary

So here we are at chapter 2. You will notice that all the chapters are very short. This has a very simple explanation. The story was originally posted on a different website that required shorter chapters in shorter increments. That... probably made more sense in my head.

* * *

**Chapter Two:** It's Elementary

Robin struggled against the stranger's grip, but she didn't let go. "Pipe down! I just saved your life!" she growled. He stopped struggling. She put him down on the roof of a building next to the battle.

Robin took the opportunity to get a good look at her. They were about the same height; maybe she was a little taller. Her brown hair was straight and hung to her shoulders. She wouldn't have stood out much if not for her eyes. The irises were ghost white.

"Just chill here for a minute. Try not to hurt yourself," she said, and with that she closed her eyes and some extent of her power was revealed. Her hair turned bright cherry red. When she opened her eyes, Robin saw that they had taken on the same color. She was smirking confidently, eyes narrowed. Robin stared at her.

"Be right back!" she said, and she took off at high speed at the yarkblat. Robin noticed her voice had changed slightly. "What in the world is her power?" he wondered aloud.

Robin and the other Titans watched as the girl flew straight up to the monster's face. "Hey, her clothes changed colors!" Beast Boy remarked. Indeed, her white tank top and skirt were no longer just white. Now, there were twisting patterns of bright red across the fabric. Her belt, gloves, and boots had remained black.

The yarkblat saw the girl coming fast and blew a torrent of flames at her. The Titans gasped, but fell silent when they saw her fly through the flames, unscathed, and proceed the deliver a powerful drop kick to the dragon's snout. The yarkblat staggered forward, surprised.

The girl landed on his back in the middle of all the Titans trapped in their bubbles. They stared at her silently. She glanced around. "Don't all start talking at once," she said sarcastically. They continued to stare. She shrugged and closed her eyes. Another remarkable change overcame the strange girl. The red of her hair, eyes, and outfit changed to golden yellow. Beast Boy's mouth dropped open.

The girl walked to the base of the device the bubbles were mounted on and scrutinized the metal paneling for a moment. Then, without warning, she kicked the surface so forcefully the metal dented and a sheet came loose. She ripped it off to reveal a complex control panel.

She stared at it for a moment as though deep in thought. "Can't make heads or tails of this thing," she said carelessly, her voice again slightly different. She made a fist and her eyes glowed yellow. Electricity crackled around her hand, and she slammed the control panel. It exploded and the containment bubbles disappeared. The four surprised Titans landed roughly on the yarkblat's back.

"Oh yeah, passengers be warned, you're in for a rough landing," she said, laughing a little at the identical looks of indignation on all four faces. By this time, the yarkblat had regained its composure and its fury. Its tail lashed out of nowhere, knocking Cyborg and Starfire clear off its back. Starfire managed to catch Cyborg before he made contact with the ground.

Raven and Beast Boy were preparing for battle, but their communicators beeped. "Our powers are useless against this thing. Pull back. Let's see what this girl can do," Robin's voice said shortly. They both nodded and met up with the others where the girl had dropped Robin.

The girl watched them. "Thanks for all the help!" she shouted after them, rolling her eyes. The dragon turned its gaze upon her and blasted another pillar of fire at her. She turned red again just before it hit her and came out of the burn unhurt.

"Mess with me, will you?" she growled. She summoned two fireballs to her hands in seconds and began barraging the beast while nimbly avoiding his swishing claws and tail.

"I get it! She's a flamethrower!" Beast Boy said, feeling very proud of himself.

"Then explain her thunder punch to the control panel," Raven shot back.

"Oh yeah, I forgot about that," Beast Boy admitted, scratching his head.

"Oh my! She has turned blue!" Starfire gasped, pointing.

True to Starfire's exclamation, the strange girl had turned a bright ice blue and drenched the yarkblat in icy mist. When the mist cleared, he was frozen solid. The only thing beneath the sheet of ice that looked alive was the glowing jewel on its collar, but that slowly burned out.

The girl landed in front of the Titans, now back in her normal, brown-haired, white-eyed form. She had something in her hand which she tossed to Robin.

"You dropped that," she said, grinning.

Robin caught his belt out of the air. He fastened it back around his waist. He meant to say 'Thanks,' but all that came out was, "But you- how did- who?"

The girl rolled her eyes again. "Aren't you the smooth talker? The name's Em," she said, shaking Robin's hand.

"Em like EMily?" Beast Boy asked for lack of anything better to say.

"Em like EleMents," Em replied, "as in my power."

"Now I understand! You can use the basic elements of the earth in battle!" Starfire exclaimed.

"Yep! Fire, electricity, water, ice, and wind," she said, flicking from red to yellow to dark blue to light blue to gray, then back to normal.

"Whoa!" Cyborg said, voicing the same thought going through all five of the Titans' minds.


	3. Her

Chapter three. Uh... yeah. I must say, I have nothing to add.

* * *

**Chapter Three:** Her 

Em raised an eyebrow, hands on hips. "Um, all this staring can stop anytime now," she said. The Titans hadn't noticed they'd all been staring at her in silence.

"Oh, right. I'm Robin, and we're the Teen Titans," Robin said. "This is Cyborg-"

"Hey there little lady!" Cyborg said, smiling.

"-Beast Boy-" Robin continued.

Beast Boy waved.

"-Raven-"

"Hi," Raven said simply, looking, as usual, as though she didn't really care.

"-and Starfire."

"Hello Em! Thank you so very much for saving us!" Starfire said joyfully, flying up and shaking her hand as Robin had instructed her once after hugging a complete stranger who had said 'hello' to them on the street.

Em smiled, but then looked at them rather accusatorily. "So you're the Teen Titans eh? Well, welcome to my side of the city," she said, suddenly sounding a little colder toward them.

"You live here?" Robin asked, surprised.

"Yes, I do. I've been a street orphan as long as I can remember. My parents dumped me here when I was just a little kid because I had weird powers. They were scared of me," Em said, looking down as a hint of anger rose into her voice. No one said anything, so she continued. "This is where a lot of the crime happens, but oddly enough, I'm fighting for this place alone."

She looked up and saw that they all seemed sorry about this fact. Robin sighed. "We never knew," he said quietly.

Starfire stared at Em. "You live on these streets?!" she said as though she hadn't heard Robin ask the same question. Em nodded mutely. "That is unacceptable!" Starfire proclaimed. She stopped and gave a little gasp. The others knew why. It was just like when they had met _her_.

Em noticed the awkward silence fall over the Titans. "Did I miss something?" she asked, concerned.

"We need a minute to talk," Robin said, and they all walked away a little.

"She would make a good addition to the team," Raven said. The others were surprised. "What? It just seems like we can trust her. I have instincts about these things."

"I do not wish for her to live on the streets in a place like this," Starfire added. "She saved our lives. We owe her for that."

"I suppose we could let her stay with us for a while…" Robin said slowly.

"She could train with us," Cyborg said. Deja vu swept over the Titans. They all turned to Beast Boy, who had so far remained silent.

"It's… weird. We haven't had anyone new since-" Beast Boy looked down. "_Her_."

"We shall never have any new friends if we do not start making them!" Starfire said.

"Are we agreed then?" Robin asked. Slowly, the other Titans nodded. They walked back to where Em was sitting on the edge of the building, her legs dangling over the edge as she stared darkly at her home spread out in ruin before her. She turned when she heard them coming.

"Em, would you like to stay at our place for a while?" Robin asked, offering a hand to help her to her feet. Em looked at all their smiling faces and she knew immediately that they were hiding something. She could tell that there were some things about them she'd never know. But she smiled and took Robin's hand.

"Sure, as long as we can check up here tomorrow," she said. They all agreed and started for the Tower. When Em saw the big 'T' looming over the water, she sighed. Maybe she could finally call someplace home.


	4. The New Girl

Oh snap, the plot thickens. Okay, so not really, but we can all pretend.

* * *

**Chapter Four:** The New Girl

"You live in a giant 'T'. How… original," Em said, smiling as she landed in front of the door.

"Hey, you would too with a rent this great," Cyborg said as he punched in the access code.

Em laughed. "Okay, you got me there- wow!" she said upon walking in the door. "I'll never laugh about the 'T' thing again!"

"I got dibs on the Gamestation!" Beast Boy shouted, transforming into a cheetah and racing to the main room.

"No way! I called it on the way back!" Cyborg yelled as he ran after him.

Raven muttered something about meditation and went to her room. Robin volunteered to give Em the tour, and Starfire volunteered to come.

"The kitchen's in there too. Take something from the fridge whenever you want," Robin said. He was about to open the door to the main room when something smashed into it from the other side. They heard muffled yells from behind the door.

Em looked alarmed. "It's just BB and Cy fighting over the Gamestation. We should probably avoid this general area for a while," Robin said, moving on. Something heavier hit the door and Em jumped, then quickly followed Robin and Star.

As the tour wound down, they came to the hall where all of the Titans' rooms were. They came to the sixth. "You shall stay in here for now," Starfire said brightly.

Em looked at the name on the door. "Who's Terra?" she asked.

Starfire suddenly looked very uncomfortable and turned to Robin. Robin sighed. "We'll talk about that tonight," he said.

Em didn't understand what was going on, but she didn't press them. She opened the door. "It's got a great view! Are you sure it's okay that I stay with you guys?" she asked, sounding apprehensive.

"Of course it is! I will not have you sleeping on the streets when we are in your debt!" Starfire replied brightly.

Robin nodded. "Make yourself comfortable. You can do whatever you want until dinner." Robin and Starfire walked off down the hall, speaking in low voices. Em watched them walk away. Just as they rounded the corner, Robin put a hand comfortingly on Starfire's shoulder.

Em sighed. Her staying with them had reawakened something painful for the Titans. She turned into the room and closed the door. _It's a nice room,_ Em thought. _I wonder why this 'Terra' person affects them like this…_

Meanwhile, the Titans were sitting in the kitchen, talking.

"She asked about Terra. We'll have to tell her," Robin said.

Raven spoke up. "Let's wait until we know for sure if she'll be on the team. We'll train with her after dinner, see what she can do. Then we can make a decision."

The others agreed. They didn't know Em had been passing the closed door and stopped to listen.

Em continued walking when she heard them get up, assuming their conversation about her was over. She made her way slowly to the roof and sat down on the edge, staring off at the setting sun. "I'm going to be the new girl for a long time…" she sighed.


	5. Predecessor

Ah, the cliche-ness of it all... Kinda makes me want to vomit.

* * *

**Chapter Five:** Predecessor

"Dinner!" Cyborg shouted, ripping off his apron and chef's hat. The Titans gathered around the table expectantly. Em came through the door and sat down too. Cyborg had outdone himself. The table was creaking under the weight of all the food.

"I'll give you this, you guys sure eat well here!" Em said after they had finished eating. The Titans were impressed. Em had tried and liked every dish put in front of her. She had even partaken in a tofu eating contest with Beast Boy. Robin wondered whether Em would be able to stomach any of Starfire's alien dishes.

"So, Em, what do you think of joining us in a training session?" Robin asked when the table had been cleared. The others stopped talking and waited for her answer.

"Sounds like fun!" Em said brightly.

Though it was getting dark, the Titans decided to use the obstacle course they had tested Terra with. It had been beaten up pretty badly by Terra the first time, but Cyborg had fixed it since.

Cyborg turned on the tall stadium lights around the course, brightening the entire area. "Alright Em, you're up first!" Cyborg said, pushing her to the starting line.

Em hovered into the air about a foot, getting ready. 3… 2… 1… Go!

Stationary laser cannons began to fire at her. She transformed into her electric element. She was incredibly fast in this form and dodged the blasts, flying past the cannons. The cannons exploded a second after she had passed. She had shot them down with electricity, and done it at such a high speed, the other Titans hadn't even seen it happen.

Big fist ended shafts of metal started jutting randomly from the ground in Em's path. She slalomed through them deftly, still going quite fast.

In the next section, she had to fly through gates that would fall as she reached them. She passed under the first without incident. As she passed under she second she changed into her ice element. She knew she wouldn't make it under the third, so she froze the metal and shattered it with a flying kick.

She changed quickly to her water element as disk launchers began barraging her. She dodged the first few, shot the next few down with water blasts, and drowned the launchers as she went by.

Em landed lightly at the finish line, breathing deeply. "That was fun!" she said. Her voice was calmer now than it had been when she was in her fire and electric elements.

The Titans stared at her time. She had shattered Robin's record. They looked down at her from the booth. She was in her fire element, idly melting rocks on the ground while she waited for them to tell her how she scored.

"I think she'd make a pretty dang good Titan," Cyborg said.

Em was sitting on the ground at the finish line, picking up rocks and melting them in her hands. She knew the Titans were talking about her, debating whether she should be on the team. She was so absorbed in her rock melting that she didn't hear them walk up behind her. She stood up quickly.

The Titans looked serious. "Em, we have something to show you," Robin said.

"What?" Em asked curiously.

"Your predecessor."


	6. The Story Of Terra

**Chapter Six:** The Story of Terra

"This is Terra," Beast Boy said as Em stood before the statue.

Em looked up into the face of the stone girl. She turned back to the Titans.

Raven noticed something odd about her expression. She seemed to be straining at something, as though she were trying to hold something back. Raven tried to make contact with Em's mind, but was thrown from it the moment she entered. Raven's eyes widened. What she had seen of Em's mind was a cyclone of turmoil. Raven compared it to her own mind. There were several different powerful emotions and personalities fighting for control over Em's mind.

"This is Terra?" Em said at last.

"About one year ago, we met a girl with superpowers. Terra," Robin said. "She didn't have anywhere to call home, so we invited her to train with us. We asked her to be a Titan, but she freaked out because she couldn't control her powers and ran off.

"She came back eight months ago with complete control. She claimed she had been training the whole time. She became the sixth Teen Titan. We trusted her. She was part of the team for a while.

"But we learned too late that she was working for our arch enemy, Slade. Slade sent an army of his robots to attack us in our own home, and while we were fighting, Terra and Slade disappeared.

"Not long after, Terra attacked us directly. She nearly destroyed us. Slade took over the city. We came back on the offensive and defeated her, but she got back to Slade. He took complete control over her powers because she was having second thoughts. We convinced her to fight back, and she defeated Slade, sending him into a volcano which she accidentally triggered. She sacrificed herself to save the city. That's why she's here now. We've been looking for a way to bring her back."

Raven had been watching Em carefully the whole time. The same struggle had been going on in her mind, Raven could tell. Finally, when Robin finished his story, Raven sensed a surge of power from one of the many sides in Em's mind.

Before the surprised eyes of the Titans, Em gasped. She covered her face with her hands and fell to her knees. When she looked back up, she was in her fire element, anger flaring in her eyes.

"You trust her? Even after she betrayed and attacked you, you still want to bring her back?! How do you know she won't do it again?" Em shouted. Then she struggled back to her normal form and sat back against the statue, breathing hard and closing her eyes.

The Titans were startled by what had just occurred, except for one. Beast Boy was beside himself. "Of course we still trust her! She's our friend! Nobody deserves to be turned to stone!" he shouted angrily.

Raven crouched down next to Em and put a hand on her shoulder. "What just happened?" Raven asked quietly with concern in her voice. The other Titans were surprised by Raven's concern toward the new girl. Robin deduced at once that there was something about Em they didn't know.

When Em regained her breath, she said in a quiet, trembling voice, "I'm sorry Beast Boy. I didn't mean it."

Beast Boy looked ashamed. "It's okay, I shouldn't have yelled…"

"No, it isn't okay," Em replied, refusing to look up at them. "In case you guys haven't figured out already, I don't have complete control either."


	7. Losing Control

**Chapter Seven:** Losing Control

"Every element has a different personality, a different mind, a different power, a different soul," Em said, still on the ground with Raven holding her up by her shoulder. "Sometimes, more than one tries to surface at the same time. That's when I lose control. It's like having massive mood swings."

"I sensed that in your mind," Raven said truthfully. "I could tell you're in a constant state of turmoil. I can help you."

Robin knelt next to Em as well, putting his hand on her other shoulder. "We can all help. But to help, we need you need to tell us everything."

Em nodded slowly. She took a deep breath. "My fire element is usually angry. She's also the strongest physically. Water is very mild mannered, and she can breathe under water. Ice is, obviously, kind of cold toward other people. She can fly the highest because she can breathe no matter how little air there is. Electricity is really hyper. She's the fastest. And wind is shy and sensitive. She can dissolve into wind so solid objects pass through her."

"I'm glad you told us all of that now. It will help us in the future," Robin said. He and Raven helped her to her feet.

"Wait, there's one thing I forgot," Em said suddenly as they all began to leave. "I don't have all of my powers yet."

"What?" all the Titans said in unison.

"Well, when I first discovered my power, it was just fire. But then I fought a villain who also used fire, and I gained my water power. So, whenever a situation arises in which my old powers are useless, I gain new ones. I never know what's coming next and it takes me a while to get used to the new power," she said.

"That's gotta come in handy," Cyborg said.

"You have no idea," Em replied, smiling for the first time since she had finished the obstacle course.

As the Titans made their way back to the Tower, Raven came up beside Em. "I understand," Raven said quietly. Em looked at her curiously. "My powers are unleashed by emotion. The only way I can control them is by controlling my emotions. I've gotten pretty good at it. I can help you," Raven explained.

"You hold back _all_ of your emotions? That's amazing!" Em said in awe.

Raven was surprised. "You are the first person who has ever been impressed by that," she said, actually smiling.

Robin and Starfire were walking behind Raven and Em. "Raven's never taken to anyone this fast," Robin commented.

"Yes, it seems as though the two of them shall become good friends," Starfire said happily.

Beast Boy was trailing behind everyone else. Cyborg slowed down. "What's up?" he asked.

Beast Boy watched the ground in front of his feet. "Maybe she was right."

"About what?" Cyborg said, confused.

"Terra. Maybe she _will_ betray us again."

Cyborg was shocked. "Man, what's wrong with you? You've been looking harder than anyone for a way to bring her back. Besides, you heard what Em said. She didn't mean it. That's just the way fire is."

Beast Boy shrugged. "Yeah, you're right," he said glumly. He was silent the rest of the way home.


	8. Trust

**Chapter Eight: **Trust

The Titans and Em walked into the Tower around eleven o' clock. They all walked into the same hallway to go to their rooms. Em stood staring at the outside of Terra's door. The others all stopped and looked at her.

"I… I can't stay in her room. Can I just crash on the couch?" she asked quietly without looking at them.

Starfire was about to object (she must sleep in a real bed!), but Robin shook his head at her. "Of course. I'll get you a blanket," he said. The other Titans said goodnight and entered their rooms.

Em followed Robin to the main room. She sat down on the couch and he handed her the blanket. He said goodnight and was about to leave the room, when Em said quickly, "Thank you, Robin. For everything…"

"You're welcome. Goodnight, Em," he said as he closed the door.

It was one in the morning and the Tower was silent. The door to Beast Boy's room opened, and the green teen walked quietly to the main room. When he opened the door he saw Em sitting on the couch, the blanket Robin had given her still folded next to her. She was staring out the windows and hadn't even attempted to sleep.

Beast Boy jumped over the back of the couch and sat down next to her. "Can't sleep?" Em asked him, smiling.

"No, it's not that," he replied uncomfortably. "I wanted to say I'm sorry again. I shouldn't have snapped at you like that."

Em looked down. "I should be apologizing, not you. I'm so sorry. I didn't have any business saying that about Terra," she said.

"It's okay, really. You didn't know," he said, looking at her with concern.

"Will you guys ever be able to trust me after what happened with Terra?" she asked suddenly.

Beast Boy didn't know what to say. He wasn't used to being asked serious questions. But then, Em didn't really know that he was the joker of the team. "You earned some of our trust by saving our lives," he began thoughtfully. "Now you just have to be yourself." He smiled. "Besides, if Raven trusts you, we all can!"

Em smiled as well. "Thanks Beast Boy. I hope you're right," she said, looking back out the windows.

"You've never had a real home, have you?" he asked quietly. Em shook her head. "You know, you're a lot like Terra in some ways."

"What do you mean?" Em asked nervously, not sure if this was a good thing.

"She didn't have a home either. Until she came here…" he trailed off.

"You were… very close with her, weren't you?" Em asked, though it sounded like she already knew.

Beast Boy nodded. "I was her best friend here. I trusted her more than anyone."

"I'm sorry," Em said sympathetically.

Beast Boy shrugged. "I'm gonna go back to bed. 'Night Em," he said as he jumped over the back of the couch again.

"Goodnight," Em replied as he left. She lied down on the couch and pulled the blanket up around her shoulders. It took a while for her to settle into a fitful sleep.


	9. The Second Sixth Titan

**Chapter Nine:** The Second Sixth Titan

Em woke up just before the sun. She didn't think any of the Titans were awake, so she went up to the roof. When she got there however, she found Starfire sitting near the edge, waiting for the sun to rise.

Em walked over to her. "Mind if I join you?" she asked.

Starfire smiled excitedly. "Not at all, new friend!"

Em sat down next to her. "So where are you from, Starfire?"

"I grew up on the planet Tamaran. It is such a wonderful place, but Earth is my home now. I could never leave," Starfire replied. "Are you from Earth, Em?"

"Yep, born and- well I suppose I wasn't really raised by anyone, but I've lived here my whole life," Em said with a laugh. Starfire laughed a little as well, and they lapsed into silence, staring out at the water.

Em had promised herself not to say anything, but curiosity got the best of her. "So, what's going on between you and Robin?" she asked.

Starfire turned sharply and looked at Em. "Going on? I don't understand what you mean," she said blushing.

"Oh, so you aren't dating?" Em replied, genuinely surprised. It had certainly seemed like they were together.

"Dating? No, Robin and I are just friends," Starfire laughed. She turned back to the sunrise. "Just friends…" she repeated, sighing.

Em smiled. "Right, just friends," she said, looking at the sun as well. "You guys have the perfect place to watch the sunrise and sunset," she commented.

"Indeed. I come here often," Starfire said, glad for the change of subject.

Em grinned. "Does Robin come up here with you?"

"Sometimes-" Starfire caught herself and blushed again. "We talk a lot, as _friends_. Robin explains Earth's culture to me," she said quickly.

At that moment, the door opened and Robin stepped out. "Good morning Starfire," he said warmly with a bright smile, always reserved especially for her. "Sleep well, Em?"

Em nodded and smiled when she looked at Starfire, who was blushing furiously. "Good morning Robin," Star mumbled.

"Breakfast is ready. Come on," he said, walking over to them. Em stood quickly. Robin offered a hand to Starfire. Em smiled again as Starfire took his hand and Robin pulled her to her feet. Starfire mumbled a thank you and rushed off down the stairs.

"Was it something I said?" Robin asked Em, staring after Starfire.

Em smiled. "Not at all. She's just hungry," she said, walking down the stairs. Robin stood there for a moment, then shrugged and followed them.

After breakfast was cleared from the table (Em had tried some non-dairy waffles), Robin said he had an announcement to make. Em turned her attention away from Starfire. She had been watching Starfire listening intently to Robin all through breakfast and talking with him animatedly. She was obviously head-over-heels for him, and Robin was way too friendly with her to be just friends.

Robin stood at the end of the table and turned to Em. "The Titans have been talking, and we'd like to invite you to be a Teen Titan." The others nodded.

Em was rather surprised. After the story of Terra, she'd been doubtful. "Of course! I'd love to be a Titan!" she said excitedly. The Titans cheered as Robin handed Em a communicator.

"Wow. Imagine, me, a Titan!" she said, looking her communicator over. Then a thought struck her. "Oh yeah! We have to check how bad the damage is back home!"

"Just remember. This is your home now, too," Robin said.

"Yeah, you're the Sixth Titan!" Beast Boy said.

"No, I'm the Second Sixth Titan," Em replied with a smile.


	10. Love Hurts

**Chapter Ten:** Love Hurts

By lunch time, the Titans were finished with damage control in the slums. Em had said goodbye to her old home without much sentiment. The streets had been cruel to her when she was younger.

After lunch at the pizza parlor, Em and Robin hit the gym for some training. Cyborg had already perfected a training exercise for her involving targets that were affected by different elements. Em watched Robin thoughtfully as he pummeled a punching bag. She blasted her final target and resumed normal form.

Robin punched the bag and it swung away. He waited for it to swing back. When it reached the top of its arc, Em asked loudly, "Hey Robin, what's going on between you and Starfire?"

His reaction was similar to Star's. He turned sharply, eyes wide, and managed to stammer "Wha-" before the punching bag swung back and knocked him off his feet. Em caught him by his arm and looked down at his shocked face.

"Love hurts," she said, smiling. Robin stood up and pulled his arm out of her grasp. She backed up a few steps, grinning innocently at him with her eyebrows raised.

"Star and I aren't… I mean I don't… But I'm not in lll…" he couldn't seem to finish his sentence. He fell silent, blushing. "Star and I are just-"

"Friends?" Em cut him off swiftly. She walked past him, still smiling. "So I've heard," she said as she walked out to door, leaving Robin gaping after her.

Em was glad to see that her questions had not affected anything between Robin and Starfire. They did, however, start to avoid talking about each other while Em was around after a particular instance in which Starfire was talking to Em and Raven. Starfire said something about Robin being such a wonderful friend and had stopped abruptly when she saw Em grinning at her. Em had simply shrugged said, "I know that you know that I know," leaving Raven completely in the dark but making Starfire blush all the same.

Em began meditating with Raven on a daily basis, training hard to gain control over her mind. She was very dedicated, but as Raven said, it took time. She was progressing slowly but surely.

During one of their meditating sessions, Raven opened her eyes and said, "You're doing much better. Let's take a break." Em whole-heartedly agreed. She would never admit it, but the strain on her mind was getting greater as she tried to hold it back.

"Raven, can I ask you something?" Em said suddenly as Raven handed her a cup of herbal tea.

Raven figured it would be something about her personal life and hesitantly replied, "Sure."

"Have Robin and Starfire always been completely crazy for each other?"

This took Raven by surprise, but she smiled. "Pretty much."

Em grinned. "Thank the lord! I thought I was the only one who noticed! So why aren't they together?"

"They're both too shy to tell each other. I suppose they're also afraid of rejection," Raven said with a shrug.

"And nobody's ever given them a hint?" Em asked pointedly.

"Oh I have, trust me. They're just clueless."

Em rolled her eyes. "Oi with the poodles already!" she groaned. Raven nodded with consent. "I definitely shouldn't mess with them. They're such a cute couple; I wouldn't want to screw things up for them. I'll wait it out for now," Em sighed, raising her tea cup to her lips.

"Probably a good idea," Raven replied, smiling.

"This is good tea. Ever try green tea?" Em asked.

Raven shook her head. "I'm more partial to the healing affects of herbal."

"The Japanese believe green tea has astounding mystical properties. I have to agree. It's very calming," Em said.

For the first time in her life, Raven began debating trying another kind of tea.


	11. Slade

**Chapter Eleven:** Slade

Em had been a Teen Titan for nearly two months. Her powers had gotten greater, her control over her mind had gotten stronger, and she had everything she had ever wanted: a place to live (she had her own room!), a better way to help the city, and a family.

Em realized she had real talent in the areas of eating, burping, and playing video games, making her fast friends with Cy and BB. Em and Raven became close friends through her meditation training. Robin was ever the gentleman toward her and helped her train physically. Starfire was the only one Em hadn't really connected with yet.

It wasn't because Em didn't like Starfire or vice versa. They just hadn't gotten to know each other. The chance for them to become great friends appeared on Em's two month anniversary of becoming a Titan.

"A toast, to our good friend Em!" Robin said, holding up his pop can.

"Cheers!" the Titans said in unison, lifting their cans, then taking drinks. Em, Beast Boy, and Cyborg however, didn't just take drinks. They guzzled down their pop and the others waited for the first blow to be struck.

Cyborg let loose with an incredible belch. Starfire clapped and Robin judged it as an eight.

Beast Boy outstripped Cyborg, but just barely. His breath smelled like tofu. Starfire coughed and Robin took off points for the smell.

Finally, all eyes fell on Em. She had a look of utmost concentration on her face. Then she opened her mouth wide, took a deep breath, and released the mother of all burps. Star, Cy, and BB cheered. Raven rolled her eyes. Robin gave it a ten.

Em stood up and bowed. As she straightened back up, Robin's communicator beeped. The Titans fell silent to watch. Robin's eyes widened, then narrowed as he snapped it shut. He stood up abruptly and uttered one word that had an incredible effect on the Titans. "Slade."

Em had learned about Slade from Raven, but she had never fought him before. Em had also learned about how Robin went psycho when it came to Slade. She wondered how the night would turn out as she, Star, and BB (as a falcon) flew above the R-Cycle and the T-Car.

The Titans came to the courtyard where Star and BB had fought Thunder and Lightning. Everything was still and silent. The domino-like slabs of granite had been fixed since their last visit, as was the large granite ball at the end of the yard. Cyborg's feet made loud metallic clangs on the stone tiling of the courtyard.

"Are you sure he was here?" Raven asked Robin. Robin was about to answer when he was thrown backward.

"Robin!" Starfire gasped, rushing over to help him up. The other Titans were looking around nervously.

Cyborg turned on his radar. He gasped. "Yo! Slade's minions are everywhere! Some kind of cloaking," he shouted, firing his sonic cannon dead ahead. Several explosions out of thin air proved to the other Titans that he was right.

"How can we fight something we can't see?" Beast Boy yelled hysterically.

"We find a way to see it," Robin said, whipping out his bo staff and racing forward, swinging his staff through the air. By some stroke of luck he managed to hit one. It fell to the ground, visible.

All of the Titans were attacked at that moment. Those who could fly did, doing what they could. They looked rather strange, attacking thin air while being batted around by an invisible force. Cyborg was the only one doing any real damage.

Robin had ripped a kind of metal wristband off the minion he'd downed. "This is the cloaking device!" he said, tossing it to Cyborg.

"Yep, this is it alright! Can't be broken from the outside," Cyborg said, throwing it up to Raven and resuming his mad blasts.

Raven looked at it critically. "It can be shorted out by a powerful blast of electricity," she shouted to Em, throwing the wristband to her.

"Just how powerful are we talking here?" Em said as she caught it. She looked at it thoughtfully and changed to her electricity element. She zapped it experimentally and grinned. "I suggest you all take cover, or get out of the general vicinity," she shouted, cracking her knuckles. The Titans took her advice and ducked out of the way.

Em flew up to the granite sphere and stood carefully on top. She wouldn't have much energy for flying after this. Her eyes glowed bright yellow and her hair began to blow out behind her as though she were caught in a whirlwind. Electricity laced down her forearms as she summoned her power.

"Now you don't see 'em, now you do!" she shouted, unleashing a massive wave of electricity. The wristbands exploded in groups and the minions began to appear, flickering into the visible spectrum. Em's eyes stopped glowing and she sat down on top of the sphere.

"That took up a little more energy than I had expected," she gasped faintly. The other Titans raced back to the courtyard and began the fight. Starfire raced over to Em.

"Em! Are you okay?" she shouted over the sound of the battle.

Em nodded and Star smiled, but then Em's eyes flashed gold and she hurled a ball of electricity past Starfire. Star shrieked as a minion fell right behind her. She turned back to Em.

"Thank you!" she said, still thoroughly shaken.

"What are friends for?" Em replied, smiling.

The battle ended without incident. Slade had not shown his face. Robin figured he had just called them out to battle to test Em's skills. Em thought it creepy that Slade knew she was around. Robin told her Slade knew much more than they thought.

Though it was a small deed, and seemed rather insignificant, from that moment on, Starfire and Em became very good friends. Em became the one in the Tower Starfire could really open up to and share her thoughts that Robin wouldn't understand. Raven and Starfire became a little closer through Em as well.

Em felt like she was really fitting in now that she was friends with Starfire as well. Em wasn't the new girl anymore, and it felt wonderful.


	12. Screams Breaking Silence

**Chapter Twelve:** Screams Breaking Silence

Robin was on nerve's end after Slade's little display, but he didn't show it. Slade knew about Em. Em was in danger. But he didn't tell her. He didn't want her to worry. Robin had begun to spend prolonged periods of time in his room again. Starfire was stopping outside his door for brief moments again. Silence settled over the Tower again. The only one who didn't understand was Em.

One rainy afternoon, the Tower was beyond quiet. Beast Boy and Cyborg were in Beast Boy's room playing video games. Raven was meditating on her own. Starfire and Robin were shut in their respective rooms. Em was meditating in front of the windows in the main room.

Em felt a sudden pain jolt through her head. She was hovering cross-legged three feet from the ground and fell to the floor. She pushed herself onto her hands and knees, breathing hard. The pain in her head was incredible. She began to sweat. Her strength was being drained by some unknown force.

"What… what's happening?!" she gasped, her eyes widening as it became harder to breathe. She looked up at the rainy windows and screamed. There was someone there, staring at her.

Raven sensed something wrong immediately after Em fell to the floor. She stood up quickly and closed her eyes, trying to figure out what she had felt. Then she heard the scream.

Robin had been pouring over recent theft reports when he heard Em scream. He raced to the door of his room. When he reached the closed door to the main room, he found the other Titans already there. The door had locked itself. Starfire was pounding on it as Cyborg tried to reset the access code.

Em was staring up into a face she had only seen plastered to the walls of Robin's room. A frightful mask gazed down at her through the glass. The man was standing on some sort of hover board, rain streaming down his shoulders. He was holding a small device in one hand. Em assumed that little transmitter had been sapping her strength.

The man broke the window without warning. Em's fire element took over, trying to call on her last reserves of strength. "Get away!" she shouted angrily, eyes flashing with rage. She heard Starfire screaming her name, pounding on the door of the main room.

Starfire slammed her fists against the door over and over. They heard a window shatter and Starfire stopped pounding to listen. They heard Em shouting, her voice deeper than usual.

Raven understood immediately. "Her fire element. Em's in grave danger!" she shouted.

Em's fire element was gaining power over her mind. She was losing control. Her anger was taking up her strength too fast. Em tried desperately to switch back to normal form. But she wasn't strong enough. Fire was taking over.

Em kept fighting, but it was too late. As the masked man took a step toward her, fire dominated completely. At that moment, Em lost control.


	13. A Traitorous Offer

**Chapter Thirteen:** A Traitorous Offer

Raven felt a surge on her mind. "Fire just took over Em's mind. She's lost it," she said urgently.

Robin turned to Cyborg. "Can't you do something?!" he shouted.

Cyborg shrugged and smashed the control panel. The door unlocked.

Em looked up at the masked man, eyes glowing red, fire swirling around her hands. "I told you to GET AWAY!" she snarled, slashing her hand through the air. Flames blazed in the path of her hand, but the man kept coming. A cyclone of flames exploded around her and expanded to the far reaches of the room, then came to an abrupt stop. She was breathing raggedly. The man hadn't even flinched. Her energy was fading; her rage was eating away at her. She was getting weaker and weaker.

The man was barely a foot away from her. Anger flared in her eyes. "STOP!" she shouted. The man stopped, but he realized she had not yelled for him to stop. Em's fire element had lost its sway over the others. She had drained herself. Em held her face in her hands, tears running down her cheeks. "Stop…" she whispered again.

Em returned to her normal form and fainted.

Starfire began to force the door open. They heard Em shouting again. Then silence. Star finally wrenched the doors apart. The room was empty. Em was gone.

"No way!" Cyborg gasped. The entire room showed signs of the fire cyclone unleashed by Em's fury. The floor by the windows was covered in broken glass.

The Titans stood transfixed in the doorway. There was something on the floor where Em had been moments before. Robin walked over slowly and picked it up. It was a round gold disk bearing an angular black 'S'.

Robin walked over to the shattered window and stared at the rain soaked city, whispering one word, the same word he had said so many times in his head, the word he had hated since the first time he had heard it, "Slade."

The Titans halted their examination of the room and stared at Robin. Starfire walked slowly up to him and laid her head on his shoulder, tears in her eyes. "We can't let him take her, Robin," Starfire whispered.

Robin stroked her back in an effort to comfort her. "We won't," he said softly. "I promise."

Em woke up a few hours later. She had no idea where she was or how she had gotten there. She sat up, looked around, and groaned. She was on the floor of a large round room. The only light was from floor to ceiling windows around the entire room. It was dark and raining outside.

Em stood up slowly and walked over to the windows. She groaned again. The room she was in was very similar to the top of the space needle; a flat glass cylinder perched on the tip of a seventy-five story metal toothpick.

"I see you enjoy the view," an all-too-calm voice said from behind her. Em whipped around and saw that masked man standing in the center of the room.

"Slade. What do you want from me?" she asked vehemently. She tried to change forms, but she was still far too weak. She was lucky to be thinking clearly.

Slade's visible eye narrowed in amusement as he walked forward. "I only wish to give you an offer," he said.

"That being?" Em snapped.

Slade chuckled darkly. "I have learned a lot about you, Em. Your powers are incredible. Though you do have some balance problems," he said, still walking forward. Em backed up against the windows. "I can help you. I can teach you to achieve the balance you crave."

Slade was barely a foot away from Em. He placed his hand under her chin and tilted her head up so he was staring straight into her eyes. She stared back defiantly, but she was afraid. "Work for me, and you will have everything you ever wanted."

Em's fear was replaced by anger. Not enough to summon her fire side, but just enough to give her the strength to grab his wrist and shove him away from her. "I'll never work for you. Not after all you've done to my friends!" she shouted.

"You really believe they're your friends?" Slade asked. His voice was so hypnotic, she began to believe him. But she shook it off.

"Shut up you psycho! They are my friends, and they will find me!" she shouted angrily.

"Perfect," he hissed. The room lit up suddenly and Em realized she was surrounded by Slade's robots. She tried to fight them off, but they closed in around her. Before she could do a thing, she was slammed against tall metal panel in the back wall between two windows. She was tied to the panel by broad black straps that stretched horizontally across the panel. One strapped across her shoulders, another across her wrists and waist, another across her knees, another tied her ankles, and the final one secured her neck.

Em struggled against the straps, but they only got tighter. She finally found the energy to change elements, but none of them did any good. Slade watched her struggling with cruel amusement. "I think it's time we let your 'friends' know that you're in good hands," he said, pressing a button. A screen buzzed to life a few yards in front of Em. Slade stood between her and the screen as he waited for the Titans to answer.

The Titans had been trying to find where Slade had taken Em, but they didn't need to. He appeared on the big screen. The Titans gathered before it immediately.

"Where have you taken her? If you've hurt her, I swear I'll-" Robin shouted.

"Patience Robin. Your friend is safe. In fact, she's right here with me," Slade replied, stepping aside. Starfire gasped at the sight of Em tied to the wall. As the Titans watched, Em switched forms over and over rapidly, trying to break the bonds with every ounce of power she had.

"If you're so worried about her, come get her," Slade suggested.

Em's eyes widened. "No no no! Don't listen to him, don't come! It's a trap-" Em screamed, but she was cut off as another strap secured itself over her mouth. They heard her muffled shouting as she strained to break free. Slade pushed a button and the straps became live with electricity. They saw Em gasp and heard her muted scream as she was shocked. Her electric element couldn't even protect her. The strap around her neck tightened and she closed her eyes against the pain. The screen went black.

Raven, Beast Boy and Cyborg stared at the blank screen in horror. Starfire buried her face in Robin's cape. Robin punched the computer panel angrily. "Did you trace it?" he snapped at Cyborg.

"He's at the Needle," Cyborg replied.

Robin turned to the team. "Let's go. Em warned us it was a trap, so we'll be ready. Titans, we're bringing Em home."


	14. Her Blood On His Conscience

**Chapter Fourteen:** Her Blood on His Conscience

Em was taking deep, calming breaths. Every inch of her skin seared with the pain of that first shock. None of her elements were of any use, she wasn't gaining any new powers, and her friends were walking into a trap. All because of her.

_Maybe they'd be better off if he just tortured me to death…_ she thought glumly. Slade had disappeared, but his robots stood like statues all over the room, keeping her under their watchful mechanical eyes.

Finding nothing better to do and deciding not to go down without a fight, Em tightened her muscles and strained against her bindings again. The straps stretched slightly, and then tightened even more. Her strength failed again and she was back where she started. She closed her eyes and began to meditate. The moment she entered a peaceful state of mind, her bindings tightened and she was shocked again. She bit back a scream and shut her eyes tighter until the pain ended.

When Em opened her eyes, her cheeks were wet with tears she did not recall shedding. Slade was staring at her. He leaned toward her until they were eye to eye. "Have you changed your mind about my offer yet?" he asked.

She began ranting at him, calling him several names not suitable for children to hear, straining harder at the straps, itching to leap at him and pummel every inch of him into paste. He didn't understand exactly what she was saying, but he got the idea. He laughed as he shocked her into silence, tightening the bindings even more with the remote in his hand.

"I take it that's a no," he said carelessly as she tried desperately to breathe.

A huge explosion echoed around the room. A hatch in the floor that led down to the stairs blasted open. When the smoke cleared, the Titans stood in the center of the room, each one looking murderous.

Em saw them there and closed her eyes. She didn't try to hold in her tears any longer. She was in so much pain. _So much pain._ She was exhausted. She could barely move, barely breathe. She hated herself for being so weak. Slade had taken her far too easily. _So tired._ He had just waltzed up to the tower, gotten to her weakness, and taken her. _Couldn't even save myself._ She was slipping. She was giving up. _Stay awake. Have to stay awake._ Then she heard them. She heard them shouting at Slade. _Can't give up yet._

"Let her go!" Starfire shouted.

"What have you done?!" Raven growled at Slade, sensing what was going through Em's mind and feeling pain herself.

"We're taking you down, now. Titans, GO!" Robin yelled. The robots sprang into action, and the Titans began the fight. Robin went straight for Slade.

Em watched helplessly as her friends fought for her. _Please help them,_ she prayed. _Please don't let them get hurt because of me._

The Titans were winning over the robots, but they were vastly outnumbered. Robin was fighting valiantly against Slade with one thought on his mind: _get Em out of here._

With a powerful side swing of his bo staff, Robin managed to throw Slade off momentarily. He ran toward Em. Slade pulled out his remote. Starfire saw him and screamed, "No! Robin, stop!"

Robin was feet away from Em when Slade pressed the button. He held it down and didn't let go. The shock was so great, Robin got blasted backward and all of Slade's robots shorted out. Em screamed. She couldn't stop herself. She screamed louder than she'd ever screamed before. The restraining straps cut into her wrists and shoulders. The pain was so intense; her only thought was that she wanted it to end. _Just kill me… just make it stop…_

The Titans stood frozen, looking on in horror. Then, the most unexpected thing happened. Em's opened her eyes. They were glowing fierce white. Her hair changed to the same blinding shade. Her whole body began to emit a white aura, and the straps over her mouth, neck, shoulders, knees, and ankles snapped. Without to binding over her mouth, her screaming got louder.

The remote in Slade's hand exploded. He cursed and fled. The girl was much more powerful than he had imagined…

The pain stopped. Em took a deep breath, coughed, and passed out, hanging limply by the one strap she hadn't broken. She remained in this new form. Robin walked up and released her, catching her before she fell to the floor. He saw something dark dripping from her fingers. The straps had cut her wrists and shoulders badly. She was losing a lot of blood.

Robin looked on the point of collapsing himself, so Cyborg carried Em back to the Tower. When her arms were wrapped up and she was safe in the infirmary, everyone went to bed. Raven had told the others that Em's new element was light, Raven's own opposite. They were all very thankful she had gained it.

Robin stared at the ceiling, unable to sleep. If he had listened to Starfire when she screamed for him to stop, Em wouldn't be hurt so badly. He hurt everyone close to him. He was still beating himself up for hurting Starfire's arm.

He heard a knock on his door and sat up. The door opened, and there was Starfire. "Is something wrong?" he asked her worriedly.

Starfire walked in and sat down next to him. "No, there is nothing wrong with me. But I sense everything is not alright with you," she said quietly.

He looked at her, then looked at the floor. "It's always my fault. Slade targets everyone I care about to get to me. Then I go crazy and make it worse," he said, closing his eyes tightly and hiding his face in his hands. He felt Starfire's hand on his shoulder and looked up at her. She had tears in her eyes.

"Do not blame yourself Robin. Please. I hate to see you like this. It is not your fault," she said, holding back a sob.

"But-" he began, but she cut him off.

"Slade has nearly killed you on many occasions Robin. This is no one's fault but his."

"Then I at least should have listened to you. You shouted when I tried to get to Em, and since I didn't stop, she got hurt even more," Robin looked at the floor, clenching his fists.

"No, you did not listen to me. And I would not have listened to you in the same position. You were trying to save Em. Any of us would have done the same thing if we were faced with the chance," Starfire replied soothingly, moving a little closer to him and squeezing his shoulder.

"But-" Robin started again, but this time he was cut off by her fingers on his lips. He was so surprised, he fell silent immediately.

"Hush…" she whispered. Her voice sent shivers down his spine. She leaned against his side. "Please Robin," she said, tears sliding down her cheeks. "Please do not do this to yourself. It hurts for me to sit by and watch you hating yourself."

Robin could tell she was tired. Her emotions were spent. Her breathing slowed and she became more comfortable against him, her head on his shoulder and her hand in his. Robin stroked his fingers through her hair. She sighed before she fell asleep. He put his arms around her and fell asleep as well.


	15. Ow

**Chapter Fifteen:** Ow

Em woke up very slowly the next morning, her mind foggy. One thought crossed her brain over and over: _ow… ow… ow… ow… ow…_

"Ow…" she muttered. She was lying in a bed, as far as she could tell. She moved her fingers experimentally. "Ow…" she muttered again, grimacing. She heard the door open and sat up quickly. "OW!" she yelped. But the pain passed quickly.

Em looked at the door. Raven walked in with a steaming mug in her hands. She handed it to Em and smiled. "Green tea," Raven pointed out.

Em began to remember what was going on and smiled as well. "Thanks," she said quietly as she took a drink. She caught sight of her reflection in her mug and almost dropped it. She looked down at herself. Her outfit seemed a brighter white than usual. She reached back and pulled some of her hair out in front of her. Shining white.

"What the-" she began.

"You gained a new power last night," Raven said helpfully.

Em had a flashback of the previous night's events. _Unimaginable pain… blood… tears… someone was screaming… was it me?_ Em's head started hurting. "I'll take your word for it…" she mumbled. She resumed normal form and sighed, feeling relaxation wash over her. She looked at her bandaged arms, wincing. Then, to change the subject, "Where are the others?"

"Beast Boy and Cyborg are examining the crime scene-" Raven began.

"What, Robin isn't with them?" Em cut in, surprised.

Raven smiled. "No, he and Star are still sleeping." Em looked confused at Raven's knowing smile. "Come on, I'll show you."

Raven opened Robin's door quietly. Em looked in and saw Starfire sitting in Robin's arms against the wall on his bed, sleeping peacefully. Em smiled excitedly and closed the door. "So are they…?" she asked, looking at Raven.

"Nope."

"What?!"

"No strong emotions last night except you going through a whole lot of painful recuperation and Robin beating himself up over Slade as usual," Raven said, shrugging.

Em was aghast. "She fell asleep in his arms, and still they haven't confessed?!"

"Foolish, I know," Raven consented.

Starfire stirred in her sleep and Robin woke up. He blushed violently when he realized he had held her all night. He took a deep breath, willing his heart to stop pounding for fear of waking her up. But he had to move. He began easing away from her, but she woke up just a little and clung to him.

He gulped and shook her a little. She opened her eyes slowly and smiled. "Good morning, Robin," she sighed.

"Morning, Star. I have to get up now. I need to review the reports from Slade's place last night," he pulled away a little farther. To his surprise, Starfire's face fell and she pushed him away. She stood up quickly and turned on him, looking hurt.

"Slade? Of course, that's the first thing you think about when you wake up next to me. Slade!" she shouted stingingly. Her eyes threatened to fill with tears again. "I guess I was stupid to think that you actually-" she stopped and looked away, breathing deeply.

Robin was shocked. "No Star, I didn't mean-"

"Didn't mean to fall asleep with me in your arms? Didn't mean to lead me on like this for so long?!" she was shouting again.

Raven and Em were frozen outside Robin's door, listening.

"Leading you…? Starfire no! I haven't been-"

"I have tried so hard to understand Robin. Slade drives you crazy, I know. He's hurt you so badly, and you act as if I feel no pain when I hear you screaming in your sleep. You tell me I don't understand. I have been trying Robin!" she shouted, openly crying now. "I have tried so hard! Sometimes we get so close that I can't stand it when you turn away from me. When it comes to Slade, I'm just another weak little girl who needs saving. I DO NOT NEED TO BE _SAVED_, ROBIN! I NEED _YOU!_

"When I woke up this morning, and you were right there, I thought you actually cared for me. But all you care about is Slade! I am finished Robin! I am done trying to understand!" She turned and stormed from the room, not even seeing Em and Raven outside the door, and locked herself in her own room.

Robin stood in the middle of his room, completely thunderstruck. "Starfire…"

Em turned silently to Raven, who looked just as surprised. "I'll talk to Robin. Try to get Starfire to the roof in half an hour or so," Em said quietly. Raven nodded and walked over to Starfire's door.

Em approached Robin slowly. He didn't seem to see her. "Come with me Robin. We need to talk," she said quietly, taking one of his hands in both of hers and pulling him to the roof.


	16. The Princess And The Wonder

**Chapter Sixteen:** The Princess and the Wonder

Robin and Em sat on the roof facing each other. Em had told him to recount what had happened since she had passed out at the Needle.

"And you don't understand why she's angry?" Em asked hesitantly when he finished. Robin shook his head. _Boys…_

"She's hurting, Robin."

Robin looked surprised. "What do you mean?"

"Tell me: how do you feel whenever she gets very close to you?" Em asked delicately. Not all guys understood this sort of thing.

Robin hesitated.

"You can tell me, I promise I'll keep it secret," Em coaxed.

He sighed. "I love being close to her. But… the feeling goes away quickly, because no matter how close to me she is, we can never be together." Suddenly, he realized what Em meant by Starfire's pain.

"Why not?" Em shot back.

"Why… what?" Robin asked, confused.

"Why can't you be together?"

"Because I don't want to ruin our-"

Em cut him off by grabbing him by the front of his shirt and slamming his back against the heating duct behind him. He got the breath knocked out of him and was startled by the fierceness of Em's stare.

"Don't tell me you don't want to ruin your friendship Robin! Just don't!" she hissed. He squirmed under her gaze, but she pushed him harder against the duct and he stopped. "Your friendship is ruined already because of how clueless you are! She's right; you care too much about Slade."

"But I love her!" Robin shouted before he could stop himself. His eyes widened and he blushed.

Em smiled and released him. "Don't tell me. Tell her," she said quietly.

"It's not that easy-" he began.

"Yes, it is. You're just scared. You don't want her to reject you. Newsflash! She won't. She just freaked at you for not caring about her. You don't seriously think she hasn't been head over heels for you since you first met!" Em punched Robin's shoulder. "Be a man!"

He stared at her with a mixture of respect, and fear that she'd punch him again. Em smiled innocently at him and stood up. "Good luck. You won't need it," she said lightly, walking down the stairs. Robin sat in silence for a couple of minutes. Then, just as he stood up, Starfire walked out onto the roof.

"Starfire!" he said, his voice squeaking in surprise.

She looked at him coldly. "Yes?"

He strode up to her and took both of her hands in his. It was her turn to be surprised.

"Starfire, you're right. I care too much about Slade. But that doesn't mean I can't change," he said. He sounded so sincere, Starfire believed him. But she didn't say a word. "I… I'm sorry, Star. I've let him rule my life even though I'm not under his control anymore. You've only ever tried to get closer to me, and I always push you away. But I don't want to be a stranger to you anymore."

Starfire felt weak as he pulled her in to a hug. She pulled away from him enough to look up at his face. Then she smiled. She drew in very close to him, stopped a second just to feel his breath against her skin, and pressed her lips to his. He held her close as she sighed into his mouth, clinging to his neck blissfully and running her fingers up into his hair.

Em met Raven at the bottom of the stairs. Em was rubbing her shoulder and wincing. "Remind me not to punch anyone for a while…" she grumbled, tightening one of her bandages.

Raven stared at her. "You punched Robin?"

"Well, yeah. And I slammed him into a heating duct."

They both laughed, then Raven stopped, eyes wide as strong emotions blasted from the roof.

"Well?" Em asked expectantly.

"I don't know what you told Robin, but it worked!"


	17. Halloween

**Chapter Seventeen:** Halloween

It had been two weeks, and Robin and Starfire hadn't come out about their relationship. They both knew that Raven and Em knew and had no problem holding hands or flirting when either was around. If Beast Boy and Cyborg were around, however, it was on the down low.

Em and Raven respected it completely, knowing that they'd only meet ridicule and tabloids by telling BB and Cy. Slade hadn't reappeared yet, crime was at an all time low, and the Tower was alive again. Starfire was spending more time in Robin's room than she ever had before. Em and Raven were meditating more often to give them a chance to talk. Em was gaining mastery over her light power, but she still had some problems with accidentally blowing things up during training. Overall, things were going extremely well at Titans Tower.

The biggest news came on October 18th in the form of an invitation to a Halloween dance. The Titans were all for it once Robin had explained Halloween to Starfire. They went costume shopping later that week.

Starfire got very excited over a princess costume. Beast Boy made very original green Superman. Raven didn't need to buy much to pull off an excellent vampire. Robin became Robin Hood. Cyborg used his holograph rings to become the Green Lantern, having bet Beast Boy that he'd be a WAY better superhero and ignoring Raven when she pointed out that they already _were_ superheroes. Em decided to be a stereotypical farm girl. After they had paid for their costumes, Beast Boy asked her if all farm girls were so sexy ("Denim capris? Plaid shirt? Hair in braids? What's not to like?!"). Em threw him into the face paint stand. The store manager kicked them out.

The dance was at a high school. The Titans were glad that people didn't recognize them so easily; especially since word had gotten out that they were coming. There were many teens dressed up as the Titans. Em got very excited when she saw several girls dressed like her. She'd never had fans before.

Starfire was hit on constantly in the first half hour of the dance until Robin pushed one of the more persistent boys into a jack-o-lantern. Robin had Starfire all to himself after that episode. Unfortunately, Starfire "thanked" Robin by draping her arms around his neck and kissing him… right in front of Beast Boy and Cyborg. Word was out among the Titans, but BB and Cy had the sense not to tell the whole high school.

Em was surprised that boys were talking to her as well. Her surprise changed to annoyance when one boy (the one who had been shoved into a pumpkin) walked straight up and put his arm around her shoulders. Em had thrown him bodily through a life-sized cardboard cutout of the monster from Wicked Scary: the Sequel. The boy stayed clear of girls the rest of the night.

By that time, most of the kids at the dance had figured out who Em was at the very least, having displayed her superhuman strength without thinking of the consequences. Just as people began to mob her for autographs, six communicators began to beep.

Robin pulled away from Starfire's lips and flipped open his communicator, distinctly annoyed by its beeping and interrupting them. The entire gym had gone silent to listen as all six Titans pulled out their communicators. Robin looked up to see everyone in the hall watching them. He rolled his eyes, though nobody saw since he was wearing his mask.

"Titans, trouble!" he shouted, more to entertain the crowd than anything. Everyone cheered as those who could fly took off, and Robin and Cyborg ran out the door.

"Can't we have one night to ourselves?" Em muttered crossly as they flew off to the Jump City dam.

The dam was dark and eerily quiet, but for the sound of water rushing through. "What's the deal?" Cyborg asked Robin.

"Somebody's planted explosives made with components from an old chromium core. They're very unstable, and we have to find them-" Robin was cut off by Starfire sneezing. Em was, to put it lightly, surprised. Starfire's allergies were much more destructive than she could have imagined. She had been warned, but nothing could have prepared her.

Em coughed. "I feel rather… singed."

"Yeah, next time you're gonna sneeze, warn us!" Beast Boy shouted.

Starfire sniffed. "I apologize. My allergies are probably being triggered by the explosives."

Robin smiled at her. He couldn't help it. She just had that effect on him. She smiled back. Cyborg cleared his throat loudly as Beast Boy tried not to laugh.

Robin turned on Cyborg. "Scan for the explosives," he snapped.

"I hope we don't have to fight anyone tonight. My costume's riding up," Em grumbled, tugging on her capris.

"You should talk! I'm the one with my underwear on the outside!" Beast Boy replied.

"And tights," Raven pointed out.

"Yeah, and tight- hey!" Beast Boy turned on Raven, who shrugged, though she was smirking.

"I've got a lock! There are three. I'll send their locations to your communicators," Cyborg said.

"Beast Boy and Cyborg take the first one. Raven and Em take the second. Star, we're going for the third. Titans, go!" Robin said, and they split up.

"Gee, what a surprise. Starfire and Robin are together," Cyborg laughed.


	18. Robin's Rage

**Chapter Eighteen:** Robin's Rage

Robin and Starfire walked through the massive inside of the dam. The confined space between the massive walls of concrete and above all of the generators and turbines was a complex network of catwalks. BB and Cy were out on top, while Raven and Em were down below.

As Robin walked next to Starfire, he couldn't help but notice how much closer to him she walked now. He smiled at her again. She had never been inside a dam before, and was looking around curiously.

Suddenly, Star gasped and gripped Robin's arm tightly, pointing ahead. Slade was bent over an explosive device. Robin's eyes narrowed. Slade seemed different somehow, but he waved it off and ran forward. Slade saw him and ran. Starfire called the others on her communicator.

The other four Titans had already successfully destroyed the explosives they had been sent to find when Starfire called them, sounding frantic. They caught up with her just as Robin tackled Slade. He ripped off Slade's mask to reveal…

"What?! Who are you?!" Robin shouted at the boy in his late teens who was quailing under Robin's gaze.

"Uh… Trick-or-Treat?" the boy said.

"You impersonated our arch-nemesis to blow up a dam?! Why you-!" Robin began punching the boy.

"Robin, stop!" Cyborg shouted. He showed no signs of stopping.

Starfire ran forward and crouched next to Robin. She grabbed his arm and held on tightly. "Robin, please-" she stopped as Robin turned sharply on her and wrenched his arm from her grasp, staring at her fiercely. She backed away from him. Both of them remembered the last time he had been this angry.

"_You are hurting me…"_

"_Slade ran right by you. How could you let him get away?!"_

"_But Robin, there was no one there!"_

Starfire would never forget that night. For the first time in her life, she had been afraid of Robin; afraid that he would hurt her more than he already had. She snapped back to the present and saw Robin staring at her, no longer angry. He looked lost.

"Starfire…" he whispered, sounding scared. Starfire had never heard fear in Robin's voice. She didn't know how to react. She was still afraid as well.

"I'm so sorry. I can't believe what a monster I am. You're afraid," Robin said quietly.

"No Robin! I am not afraid of you!" Starfire lied quickly.

"You don't have to lie to cover up for me, Starfire," he said. "I hurt you, and I can never forgive myself. I'll understand if you hate me. I hurt your arm, I made you cry, and now I'm doing it all over again. Just please believe me when I say that I love you. I promised I'd always protect you. But I didn't protect you from myself."

The Titans watched in dismayed silence. Star and Robin had never told anyone he had hurt her. They didn't understand what he was talking about, but they didn't ask either.

"I forgive you Robin. I love you too much to care about what has happened in the past," Starfire whispered. "But please don't be angry with me when you are angry with Slade."

Robin hugged her. "I could never be angry with you," he said.

Starfire felt weak in his arms, as always. She grabbed his shoulders for support and let her lips touch his, eyes closed rapturously. He drew her in the rest of the way, kissing her gently.

Cyborg dragged the Slade look-a-like out of the dam, the other three Titans following him. "We'll leave them alone for a while," he said.


	19. Reverse

**Chapter Nineteen:** Reverse

Though Robin and Starfire were out of the closet, they still acted as normal as they could when others were around, though they were usually quite close to each other. Em thought it was adorable.

Em was training and meditating much more often now. She was still worried about Slade. Over the course of the winter, she gained two new powers: darkness and earth. Her light power was near mastery. Light's personality was much like Starfire, but more timid. She could project a one-person force field and hurl balls of light energy. Darkness was very much like Raven; quiet, but not coldly so, unlike ice. She could pass through solid objects and shot beams of dark energy. Earth was (ignore the pun) very down to earth. She wasn't quiet, but she wasn't loud either. She was just kind of… there. Her powers strongly resembled Terra's. She could shift rock on a smaller scale than Terra, and could also control plants. Its best use was to wrap villains up in vines.

Of course, Em knew there was another use for her earth power. She didn't tell the others, because this use could have changed their lives forever. If she used her power for this, there would be no turning back.

The other Titans knew her too well, though. They knew she had a secret. There was something she was keeping from them. They started to keep a closer eye on her.

One day, out of the blue, Em said she was going for a walk and left. The Titans followed her. They were surprised by where she was leading them: to Terra's resting place.

Em stopped in front of the statue and looked at it thoughtfully. "So, what's the big secret?" Robin said loudly as they came up behind her. She spun around quickly. Then she sighed and looked down.

"I… I can bring her back," Em said quietly. The Titans stood silently, shocked. "I never would without your consent of course," she said quickly.

"You can…" Beast Boy began, amazed.

"Yes," Em said, not sounding at all confident. She was still hiding the fact that she would be taking a great personal risk if she attempted to bring Terra back.

"That would be wonderful!" Starfire exclaimed, though she didn't sound as though she was completely sure. None of the Titans were sure. They had been searching for a way to bring her back, but they hadn't really taken time to talk about it.

"Bring Terra back?" Raven repeated, sounding doubtful.

"We'll need to talk about this," Robin said, sounding uncomfortable.

"Let's go back to the Tower," Cyborg suggested.

Everyone agreed but Em. "You guys go ahead. I don't think I should join in that particular conversation," she said, trying to sound off-hand. But they could tell she was thoroughly depressed.

When Em felt alone, she would fly. Flying humans were in short supply, so Em always took full advantage of her gift. She left the cavern in which Terra had been entombed and took off. She flew high above the tops of the buildings and changed to her ice element. She sailed through the clouds, the icy chill and thin air not affecting her in the least.

As she soared up into the sky and burst through the low blanket of clouds, she felt like she could breathe again. She cleared her mind and relaxed. Life was good so high in the air. There was no pain above the clouds. There were no villains in this fantastic wasteland where the sun rises later and the sun sets earlier. Em tilted and dove into the massive plumes of water vapor. It was freezing cold and water condensed immediately on her skin. Her hair was thick with crystals of ice. She was blinded by the white pressing in on all sides. But it was oddly comforting, being alone in a cloud.

She burst back up into the fresh air, droplets of water showering from her like liquid diamonds as the sun sank beneath the horizon of clouds. She stopped and hovered in the air. She felt like she was trapped in time. It never changed here. Time stood still. It was a new level of silence.

The stars began to appear above. Em didn't need to look up to see them. The sky wrapped around her like a dome. She sighed heavily. Even her ice side, which enjoyed being alone, began to feel lonely.

Em dropped back below the clouds and changed to her normal self. She walked back into Terra's cavern to find the others there waiting for her. She looked at them apprehensively. They all looked serious.

"Bring her back, Em," Beast Boy said.

Em nodded and walked forward. She changed to her earth element. Her brown eyes looked dull. She stared at the statue and began to concentrate all her energy on Terra. She began to emit a faint light, and the statue began to glow. One final thought crossed Em's mind before she became completely submerged in her power. _This is gonna hurt…_

The Titans watched in amazement as the statue slowly came to life. There was a flash of light that blinded them all. When they could see again, Em was on her knees, slumped forward slightly. Robin, Starfire, Raven, and Cyborg all ran forward to their collapsed comrade, but Beast Boy ran right past her.

"Terra!" he shouted in happy disbelief, hugging the blond girl as she stepped onto the ground.

"I'm… alive?" Terra whispered.


	20. The Seventh Titan

**Chapter Twenty:** The Seventh Titan

For the second time in her life, Em woke up in the infirmary, thinking the same thought: _ow… ow… ow…_

This time was different, however. She didn't feel pain in her arms like before. The pain was coming from her mind. Her personalities were fighting again.

"Would you give it a rest?" she muttered angrily at her brain.

"Give what a rest?" an unfamiliar voice said.

Em sat up quickly. She was amazed that she could make the same mistake twice. "OW!"

"Sorry! I didn't mean to scare you!" the voice said. Em looked over. There was a blond girl next to her bed. She had blue goggles around her neck and wore a black shirt with a yellow 'T' on it.

Em stared at her. "Wait a minute, I know you. You're Terra," Em said groggily.

Terra smiled. "I guess the others told you all about me," she said, sounding ashamed.

"Yeah. They did," Em replied shortly, trying desperately to keep her fire side at bay.

_This is the girl that caused my friends so much pain… and I brought her back. _

_Why? _

_Because they still trust her. _

_Why? _

_Shut up._

She didn't argue with her brain very often. It gave her a head ache.

"They said that you're the one who brought me back," Terra continued.

Em nodded silently.

"Thank you so much!" Terra exclaimed.

Em's head throbbed. She winced, but said, "No problem."

"Everyone will be really glad you're awake. I'll go tell them," Terra said. She sounded like she was looking for an excuse to leave. Em didn't take it personally in the least. Terra left quickly. Em fell back on her pillows.

"O la vache…" she muttered.

"I didn't know you spoke French," Raven said as she walked in.

Em sat up and smiled. "I don't. All I know is 'o la vache' and 'omelet du fromage'," she said truthfully.

"'Oh the cow' and 'cheese omelet'?" Raven smiled, handing Em a mug of green tea.

"Yeah. I'm much better with Japanese," Em said, gratefully taking a drink and feeling warmth rush through her.

"Really?"

"Hai."

They laughed. "So… I actually brought her back," Em said quietly.

"You should have told us it would affect you like this," Raven said seriously.

"Like what?" Em asked, pretending she didn't know.

"You've been asleep for nearly a month," Raven replied, humoring her.

"Wow, I thought I'd be out much longer than that," Em muttered. She stopped, realizing what she had just let slip. "Um… oops?"

"You nearly died four times," Raven said severely.

"That was to be expected," Em said.

"You had us worried out of our minds! I accidentally broke that window eleven times in two weeks! That's a record!" Raven snapped. "Why'd you do it?"

Em sighed. "I've lived here for eight months now. You guys are like family to me. But whenever Terra was mentioned, everything changed. I felt like an outsider again. I brought her back because I had to. I hated seeing all my friends suffering," she said quietly.

Raven didn't know what to say. Luckily, the other five Titans walked in at that moment. Beast Boy and Terra were having a heated discussion as to whether she could be considered a zombie. Em was glad to see Robin and Starfire holding hands. They were all glad to see her awake.

After the Titans explained what she had missed over the last month (they had just been reacquainting themselves with Terra), Robin noticed how tired Em looked. The Titans left so she could sleep. Once the door was closed, Em stopped smiling. She had been pretending to be happy the entire time they were there. She had known this would happen. She wasn't a Titan anymore. She was the Other Titan. The Seventh Titan.


	21. Mind Over Matter

**Chapter Twenty-One:** Mind Over Matter

It didn't take long for the Titans to realize that Em's short time awake was good luck on their part. When she fell back to sleep that day, she went back to the way she had been for the past month. She was stuck in the middle, caught between death and life. The Titans were convinced it was some kind of physical ailment. All the Titans but Raven, that is. She knew it was Em's mind causing this problem.

After Em had been asleep for another two weeks, Raven decided to get on the offensive. While the other Titans had a movie night to take their minds off their worries over Em, Raven walked into the infirmary. She sat down next to Em's bed and looked at her thoughtfully. She was breathing normally, all her vitals were fine; it was as though she was just sleeping.

But occasionally her heart beat would slow down dangerously or accelerate to its limit. Raven would use her powers to calm her down, and she would return to normal. This had happened numerous times.

Raven held her hand over Em's forehead and closed her eyes. "Azarath… Metrion… Zinthos…" she said quietly. Her hand glowed briefly, and then they both became completely motionless. Raven had just passed into Em's mind.

When Raven opened her eyes, she was no longer in the infirmary. She looked around in surprise. Whatever she had expected Em's mind to look like, this definitely wasn't it.

Raven was at the edge of a vast lake. Bright sunlight reflected off the glassy surface of the water. The air was very fresh and clear, not anything like the city. It was quiet and peaceful here, with birds singing and a light breeze washing over the water. The lake was surrounded by trees. As far as Raven could tell, the forest continued forever. It seemed as though it was autumn here, for all the trees were colored red and orange.

Raven looked into the water. Even though it was vastly deep, she could see colorful stones shining on the bottom. Raven was amazed. Em said she had lived in the city her whole life, and yet she had a very realistic perception of life away from Jump City.

Raven turned away from the lake and saw something that looked very out of place. Standing between the trees in a line were ten identical doors. They weren't leading anywhere or coming from anywhere. They were just standing there. Raven approached the first one in the line. She examined it carefully, walking around it several times until she noticed something. There was a small picture of a flame carved into the door knob.

She had a strong suspicion of what these doors were, and her thoughts were confirmed when she examined the next door. There was a raindrop carved into this door knob. The next one bore a lightning bolt, the next a snowflake, then a cloud, then a rock, then the sun, and finally a crescent moon. Each of these doors led to where Em's other personalities stayed.

Then Raven noticed there were still two doors. There were no carvings on the knobs. She tried to open one, but it was locked. The other was as well. She was about to give up when a voice rang out right behind her.

"Those won't open yet," the voice said.

Raven spun around to see Em's earth element. She had come through her door without Raven noticing.

"Why not?" Raven asked warily.

"Those are the powers she hasn't gained yet," Em replied.

"I'm sorry for intruding on your mind like this, but we're all very worried about Em. Where is she?" Raven asked.

Earth Em looked distraught. "She fell asleep and hasn't woken up in a long time," she said.

"Yes, I know. But do you know why?"

"Yes. But I can't tell you. Ask fire, she can tell you," and with that, Em's earth element walked through her door, leaving Raven alone again.

"Fire? This could get ugly," Raven sighed.

Raven hesitantly opened the first door. She walked through the doorway and ended up somewhere else. She was no longer surrounded by the peaceful forest. Instead, she seemed to be in a volcanic hot spring. It was a large cavern of dark red rock with pools of clear, steaming water spread out like craters from a meteor shower.

Raven walked slowly down the long sandy path going through the minefield of pools and geysers. The entire cavern seemed to radiate heat. Extreme conditions like this didn't affect Raven, luckily. She finally reached a dead end and was wondering what to do next, when Em appeared in a flash of fire. Her bright red eyes glowed in the dark cave like hot coals.

"So, you've ventured into my domain," fire Em mused, walking around Raven and staring at her. Her voice sounded disturbingly similar to Blackfire's. "I'm impressed, Raven. Didn't know you had it in you."

"Em's earth element said you could tell me why Em's in a coma," Raven said calmly.

Em stopped circling and leaned against the rock wall, looking carelessly at her finger nails. "I could, yes. Why do you care so much?" she asked scathingly.

"Because Em is my best friend," Raven replied fiercely.

Fire Em was caught by surprise, but she only showed it for a second. "Em is in a coma because of Terra," she said, staring directly at Raven.

"What do you mean?" Raven asked quickly. "And how come only you can tell me?"

"I'm the only one who remembers because the others weren't around yet when it happened," Em replied coolly. "I've been here the longest, you know."

"What do you mean when you say it's because of Terra?" Raven repeated.

Em looked up at the ceiling as though hiding a painful memory. "When Em told you she's lived in the city her whole life, she lied."


	22. Repression

**Chapter Twenty-Two:** Repression

Raven stared at fire Em. "She lied?" Raven repeated quietly.

"Yep. But she didn't realize she was lying. Em actually lived with her parents in a nice little town at the base of a mountain. It was a secluded place, great to raise kids supposedly. Her parents loved her and didn't care that she was different. They helped her train with her powers. At that point, it was just me," Em explained.

"She didn't realize she was lying?" Raven inquired.

"Great. I'm going to have to tell you the whole story now, aren't I? Fine then, but I'm warning you, we're dealing with major psychological issues here. I don't know how this will affect Em," she took a deep breath and started into her story.

"When Em was five years old, a girl wandered into their town. She was the same age as Em, and they became good friends immediately. She had special powers too. Her name was Terra.

"Terra has always been a clever girl. Even at the age of five she was wandering around on her own, helping people. But she didn't have control over her powers then any more than she did when she first met you guys. Em's parents got lost in the mountains when she was seven, and Terra went to help them. Instead, she caused a landslide and killed Em's mom and dad. Complete accident.

"But did Em know that? Of course not. That was when Em's anger took over me. That's why I'm always so mad. Terra ran for it, Em chased after her, and she ended up in the slums of Jump City. She didn't know how to get back home, and her pain was so great, she repressed it. She started to believe it didn't happen. She forgot it entirely."

Em's eyes flashed dangerously. "But I know. I've known all these years. I've been hiding it from all her other elements, and from Em herself, just to protect her. You have no idea how much of a burden that is!" Em shouted. "So it's kept me angry. That anger has been fresh for all this time. It's all because of Terra."

"That still doesn't explain why she's in a coma," Raven pointed out after overcoming her thorough shock.

"She's asleep because I'm not strong enough," Em admitted bitterly. "I can't hold back this memory when Terra's right in front of her. So either she has to come to grips with this, or she'll stay in a coma until Terra's not around anymore."

"You can't protect her forever," Raven said.

"But I can try!" Em shot back fiercely.

Back in the real world, Cyborg's infirmary alarm went off. He stopped the movie. "Em's in trouble!" he said, jumping to his feet.

"What? I thought Raven was in there!" Robin replied, standing up as well.

"She is!" Cyborg said as he ran for the infirmary. The others followed.

When they reached the infirmary, Raven was still sitting dead-still with her hand over Em's forehead. According to the monitor, Em's heart was beating way too fast.

"We need Raven!" Beast Boy shouted. He ran over to her and began shaking her by her shoulders.

Right on time, Raven came back. She opened her eyes and saw Beast Boy staring at her, very close to her as he stopped shaking her shoulders. They both blushed slightly, but Raven got over it quickly and stood up. She held her hands over Em's forehead and channeled her power.

Em woke up quite suddenly. She sat up so quickly, the Titans gasped. "Terra!" she shouted.

Terra was surprised. "Um, yeah?" she asked tentatively.

"You don't remember me, do you?" Em replied.

"Remember you?" Terra stammered.

Em switched to her fire element and Terra's eyes widened.

"Does this refresh your memory?" Em hissed.

"Emily!" Terra gasped.

"Yes. I was called that once, wasn't I?" Em said with mock amusement. She swung her legs over the side of the bed and stood up, slowly advancing toward Terra.


	23. Promise Me This

**Chapter Twenty-Three:** Promise Me This

"You killed my parents, and you ran. You left without a word. Why didn't you tell me it was an accident?! My whole life could have been different!" Em shouted.

The Titans were completely lost (apart from Raven of course). They had no idea what had just happened. Starfire was afraid for her friends. Em looked very angry. Star stood beside Robin for comfort. He began absentmindedly rubbing her shoulders. Beast Boy was about to move forward and defend Terra, but Raven placed a gentle hand on his shoulder and shook her head. He obliged without complaint. Em looked capable of murder.

"I… I…" Terra stammered. Then she stopped backing up and closed her eyes. "I was scared!" she shouted. "I was scared of myself, my powers. I couldn't control them. I was hurting people when all I ever wanted to do was help. I've done terrible things!"

"Everyone makes mistakes, Terra!" Em shouted back. "The only people who deserve forgiveness are people who earn it! You never said you were sorry, you never told anyone that you couldn't control your powers! You never tried, Terra! I grew up on the streets, living day by day, because you never told the truth!

"But the lying didn't end there, did it? You betrayed my friends, your friends! You attacked them. You tried to destroy them. But they forgive you, because you earned it. You stopped that volcano from destroying the city because you were the only one who could. You could have run. You could have just run away again. But you did the right thing. That's why they still trust you; even after all you've put them through!"

Em stopped, still staring angrily at Terra, breathing deeply. She switched back to normal Em. "Wow… I feel kinda dizzy all of a sudden…" she mumbled, swaying slightly. Her eyes closed and she fell over backwards. Beast Boy caught her before she hit the ground. He laid her on the infirmary bed, then turned to Terra.

"I think you have some explaining to do," he said quietly.

"You're WHAT?!" Robin shouted. The other Titans were just as shocked. Raven couldn't believe it. Em… leaving?

Em smiled, though she looked like she was about to cry. "I know I'm being selfish, and I'm so sorry. I hate to do this to you guys, but my mind is under so much strain now. Terra and I will never get along. It's only been two months, and we've still barely even spoken. Besides, she was here first," she said, holding back tears, though she kept smiling.

All five of the Titans began to object. Terra wasn't present at the time. She had gone for a walk.

"Please… don't. This is already hard enough. I have to leave," Em said quickly.

"But… where are you going?" Raven asked.

"I want to leave this city. I'm going back to where I grew up, and then I'm going to see the world. I've been living in the slums too long."

Em hugged each of her friends. Starfire began to cry. Em walked over to her and took her hand. She took Robin's hand as well and put them together. "Promise me this: never break up. You two are meant to be," she said. They both nodded and said 'Promise' in unison.

"I'll always have my communicator. If you need me, just call," she said. Then she turned to Raven. "Thank you so much for everything you taught me," she said, smiling as the tears finally escaped.

"You're welcome. Call us if you ever need us," Raven replied.

Em waved one final time and took off. The Titans stood on the roof and watched her fly off into the distance.


	24. Only Fools

**Chapter Twenty-Four:** Only Fools

Silence fell over the Tower. Terra said she felt extremely bad, but seemed mostly unaffected. Raven only came out of her room twice a day to eat. Robin and Starfire were spending a lot of time talking quietly with each other, intent on keeping their final promise to Em. Even Beast Boy and Cyborg refused to play the Gamestation at risk of breaking Em's record.

They had left Em's room untouched in case she ever came back. They were all hoping she would.

Three months passed, and the eerie silence remained heavy on the Tower. Terra had been disappearing for hours at a time, claiming to be going on walks. The Titans became suspicious. Em's words were haunting them.

"_You trust her? Even after she betrayed and attacked you, you still want to bring her back?! How do you know she won't do it again?"_

The Titans were worried about Raven. She was much quieter than usual, which was saying something. Em had brought out the best in her, and now they were seeing a side of Raven they had never seen before. She was incredibly lonely. She hadn't been like this since before the Malchior incident.

To the surprise of everyone, Beast Boy was the one who decided to reach out to her. And to surprise the Titans even more, Raven accepted it. He soon became the only one she would talk to. She began to come out of her room again to take walks with him. Robin and Starfire noticed that Terra was becoming jealous and taking longer walks.

The Titans were seeing a different side of both Raven and Beast Boy. Beast Boy was being much more sensitive toward Raven's feelings. He wasn't just goofing off all the time anymore. Raven was opening up to him a little. She actually laughed at his jokes. They were becoming very good friends.

Meanwhile, Terra was becoming very distant with the Titans, and it had Robin worried. Slade had been very quiet since his first and only attempt on Em's life. Terra had earned their trust before and hadn't acted very trustworthy.

One day, nearly five months after Em had left, Robin decided the Titans should see where these walks were leading Terra. They followed her into the city, through the city, and out of the city to the carnival where she had taken Beast Boy the night she had betrayed them.

The ferris wheel was still in a large crack in the ground, which Terra had made in an attempt to destroy Slade during one of her unsure moments. Terra disappeared into the crevice in the ground. The Titans followed.

It was very dark below the ferris wheel. There was an entire cavern beneath the old ride. "Star, Cyborg, give us some light," Robin whispered. The place was suddenly washed in green and white light. The Titans gasped. They were surrounded by hundreds, if not thousands, of Slade's robots and minions. Directly in front of the Titans were two people: Slade and Terra.

"Gonna forgive me for this one?" Terra asked mockingly.


	25. Fly

**Chapter Twenty-Five:** Fly

Em had been living out her dreams. She had returned to her first home. Everyone was very glad to see her, amazed at how much she'd grown. Em met the closest people she had to a real family, apart from the Titans, and saw the closest place she ever had to a home, apart from Titans Tower. She spent a long time there in that small town in the mountains, regaining her lost childhood. But she wasn't truly happy, and she knew it.

After spending a long and wonderful two months in her original home, Em bid it goodbye and struck out to see the world. She toured Europe for a month, then started into Asia. She came to her final Asian destination, Japan, half way through her fourth month away from the Titans.

Em found that she absolutely loved Japan. Tokyo was amazing, but she instantly fell in love with Kyoto. It was beautiful there. She spent a week there, then returned to Tokyo for a while. As she walked through she crowded streets, she was startled half to death by a beeping sound coming from her belt. She looked down and saw the buckle blinking red. It was the Titan alarm.

She was attracting many weird looks, so she whipped out her communicator, which she hadn't touched since she had left. She gasped when she saw the screen.

Robin was bruised and battered, standing back-to-back with the other four Titans. They were surrounded by Slade's robots in a dark place Em didn't recognize.

"Robin!" Em shrieked, attracting more weird stares.

"Em, we need your help," he replied desperately.

"What- how- where-?" Em stammered helplessly.

Robin was about to reply, but his communicator was knocked from his hands by a rock glowing yellow and the transmission cut out.

"TERRA!" Em shouted fiercely. People on the street were backing away from her. She switched to her electricity element, and many people gasped. She turned to the nearest person.

"Higashi?" she snapped.

The alarmed man pointed east.

"Doomo," Em replied, wasting no time on formalities as she leapt into the air and flew up above the buildings. She stopped a moment in the air, looking east.

_Okay Em, your friends need you. Fly. Fly faster than you've ever flown before. Fly._

She gathered her strength, then shot off east. She was going much faster than she'd ever gone before, and she didn't care. She had to get there. She had to make it in time. She broke the sound barrier when she reached the ocean.

_Fly._


	26. Guardian Angel

My sincerest apologies, readers. This stupid website has been a whore for the past few days, not letting me upload any documents. So I'll post the three chapters I missed along with the one for today. Once again, my bad.

* * *

**Chapter Twenty-Six:** Guardian Angel

Robin had made the desperate call after being attacked mercilessly by Slade, Terra, and Slade's army. Robin didn't understand. Terra had destroyed Slade, and yet she went back to him.

"Why, Terra?!" Robin shouted. "Why are you doing this?"

"Because you replaced me," she said bitterly. "And you replaced me with the one person I had hoped to never see again."

There was no chance for retreat. Slade's robots had caved in the entrance. The Titans were losing badly, and there was no way out. Their only chance was Em. She was in a different country, so their hopes weren't high.

Starfire's arm was broken and she had a cut on her side. Raven had a sprained ankle and had been hit hard in the head and was having trouble staying conscious. Robin had suffered many cuts and bruises from Slade, but was still standing protectively in front of Starfire. Beast Boy's leg was broken and he refused to leave Raven's side. Cyborg's power cell was nearly drained by an electric outburst from one of the robots.

Things weren't looking up for the five super teens.

Slade was on the verge of delivering the final order, when a loud grating noise interrupted him. Everyone looked up as dirt began pouring from the ceiling. "What-?" Slade began.

Outside the crevice, a lone girl with bright red hair and burning red eyes was hovering at the center of the ferris wheel. Her hands were wrapped tightly around the central axel, and she was pulling it with all her might. She growled angrily and fire blazed around her as she heaved on it. It began to shift.

She doubled her efforts. "Come ON YOU WORTHLESS HUNK OF JUNK!" she raged, pulling it further out of the ground. Finally, with one last heave, the massive ferris wheel came loose from the ground.

Finding new strength, Em threw the ferris wheel. It landed with a titanic crash on the other side of the carnival. She looked down into the crevice in the ground. Raven was guarding the Titans from the falling rocks with a telekinetic shield. When the dust cleared, she released the shield and fell. Beast Boy caught her.

Slade and Terra were staring up at the blazing girl. She looked murderous.

"You have hurt my friends for the LAST TIME," she shouted.

Before anyone could react, Em was flying full speed at Slade, drawing back a flaming fist as she came. He barely had time to widen his eye before her blazing punch landed in the center of his mask. He was smashed down into the ground, Em's fist still against his face. She used her momentum to swing her legs up and kick Terra in the stomach. The blond girl soared a few yards and smashed into the wall.

Em stood up and looked around. The Titans were just as surprised as the robots. "You guys head up, I'll take care of the goons," Em said to the Titans. They did as she suggested, considering the shape they were in, and watched from above ground.

Em was in the center of a ring of robots. She was still in her fire element. One robot moved hesitantly and exploded instantly into a pile of melted metal. Em smirked as she lowered her arm. The battle had begun.


	27. Gaining Control

**Chapter Twenty-Seven:** Gaining Control

The Titans watched in amazement as Em switched between her different elements faster than she ever had before. She was combining her powers with her hand-to-hand skills flawlessly. Robots were falling all over the place, this one frozen, that one torn apart by a cyclone, another missing its head. Em showed no signs of tiring as she zapped twelve robots to the ground, switched to her darkness element, and made yet another robot implode.

"Have you ever seen her like this?" Beast Boy asked Raven.

"No. I think she's finally gained complete control over her powers," Raven replied.

Em was frequently switching back to her fire element, finally finding an outlet for the anger that had been building for ten years. At last, the battlefield fell silent, the robots strewn about the cavern. Em sat down on the ground, right there in the middle of all the decimated robots, finally feeling a little tired.

She looked around her and saw that Slade was no longer crushed into the ground. He had fled again. But Terra was just standing up. Em stood up as well, watching the girl carefully.

Without even looking up, Terra launched herself into the air on a large boulder and turned to face Em. She raised her hands in front of herself and began pelting her with rocks. Em switched into her wind element and dissolved into smoke. The rocks flew right through her.

When Terra finished shooting rocks, Em solidified and placed her palms together. She closed her eyes and took a deep breath, finding her center. Raven recognized this technique, as she had taught it to her.

"What's she doing now?" Beast Boy whispered.

"Her wind element takes a lot of concentration. It's a difficult element to control," Raven replied.

Em's eyes snapped open, glowing steely silver, and she raised her palms to shoulder height, extending her arms toward Terra. A cyclone formed before her hands and rushed at Terra, who was still on her hovering rock.

Terra was spun around several times before being shot out, and Em was ready. She was in her electric element to utilize her speed. She flew in front of Terra as she was shot out of the cyclone and used Terra's momentum against her. Em grabbed Terra's arm and swung her around, launching her at the wall again.

Terra was also ready, however. She got her legs under her and sprung back off the wall. Em touched down on the ground and side-stepped her. A furious hand-to-hand battle ensued, and it was obvious that Em's superior speed and reflexes were dominating.

The Titans were having trouble keeping up. Em was going too fast to be quite sure of what was happening. They knew the battle was over, however, when Terra was thrown against the wall one last time.

When Terra stood up, she was staring at Em like she had seen a ghost.

"I… I did it again…" Terra whispered in disbelief. Em felt a pang of sympathy, but it passed quickly.

"Yeah, you did. And what do you have to say about it?" she asked coolly.

Terra fell to her knees, staring dazedly past Em. "I don't understand. Why do I do this to myself? To everyone else?" she asked hollowly.

Em realized suddenly that Terra wasn't truly evil. She was just misled. Em walked over to Terra and offered her a hand. Terra looked up at her like she was crazy.

"Come on, it's just a hand," Em said quietly. She helped Terra to her feet. To Em's surprise, Terra hugged her, sobbing.

"I'm so sorry!" she cried.

Em changed back to her normal element and patted Terra's back awkwardly. "Uh… can you get off me now?"


	28. Define Normal

**Chapter Twenty-Eight:** Define Normal

Five Titans were lying in the infirmary. One was in his room recharging. The final one was on the roof. Em sat at the edge, hugging her knees and watching the sun rise. She was staring blankly ahead of her, looking, but not really seeing what was there. She had finished helping her injured friends not long ago.

Hit with a sudden idea, she stood up and changed to her water element. She walked to the very edge of the roof and looked down. She smiled and jumped forward, not flying. Instead, she dove down, down, down into the water far below.

As she plunged deep beneath the surface, her eyes began to glow blue, revealing the dark waters before her in a haze of blue light. She stopped and looked around her, breathing normally in the frigid sea water. She had been dying to explore this bay, but had never found the time. She smiled again. The water, cold and unwelcoming to regular people, was pleasantly warm and comfortable when she was in this element.

As she swam, she became aware of something. She was not alone. A shadow kept darting just out of her range of vision, flitting just beyond her reach. She finally stopped and looked around carefully. She sensed a small burst of movement off to her left and shot a jet of boiling water in that direction with the strength of a fire hose.

She heard a shout and rushed in that direction. She saw the shadow of a young man and grabbed him by the front of his shirt, pulling him up to her so she could see him. He had long black hair, black eyes, and what looked like some kind of fancy blue wetsuit.

He smiled nervously at her and waved. She scowled at him. "Who are you and why were you following me?" she said levelly.

"The name's Aqualad," he replied, bowing his head to her, since he couldn't actually bow due to the fact that she had him in a death grip. "And I was merely following you out of curiosity. I think I'd remember seeing someone so beautiful in Atlantis."

Em let go of his shirt in surprise. He took the opportunity to put a few feet of space between them. "I'm… not from Atlantis," Em said quickly. "I'm just a normal girl."

Aqualad grinned. "Define normal," he said.

Em got over her surprise. "Well aren't you charming," she said sarcastically in an oddly Raven-like monotone.

"Ouch," he whistled, still smiling at her. "Milady sure knows how to burn a guy."

"Keep trying, Flipper," she replied, and turned around.

"Wait! You're not even a little interested?" he asked, catching up to her as she swam away.

"If I was interested, you'd know," she replied, starting to sound ticked off.

But the poor guy kept trying. "So where are you headed?" he asked casually.

"Titans Tower," she said shortly, giving up trying to brush him off.

"You're a Titan? So am I!" he said, finally finding something to impress her with.

"Really? Congratulations. Bye," she replied, not even sounding mildly interested as she swam to the surface. He chased up after her. They both broke the surface at the same time, and she stared coldly at him.

He took a deep breath to speak, and she leapt out of the water to hover about a foot above, careful to keep a few feet away from him so he couldn't look up her skirt. She changed to her wind element to dry off and he stared at her in surprise. Then she returned to normal.

"Goodbye, Flipper," she said dully as she flew back to the roof of the tower. He sank back below the surface, contemplating different ways to get her to go out with him.

Em landed on the roof and sat back down, now in a rather foul mood. _For living on the ocean floor, that guy's pretty shallow,_ she thought sourly. A guy sees a pretty face in the ocean and suddenly it's all charm.

Em had never been all that interested in boys. She knew that deep in her heart, she was waiting for that one to come along and sweep her off her feet, but she doubted it would be happening any time soon.

Em was much loved by her friends, and she loved her friends as well, but whenever she saw Robin and Starfire together, she couldn't help but feel something was missing.

"Everything okay?" a voice said from behind her, making her jump about a foot. She stood up quickly and relaxed when she saw that it was just Robin.

"Don't do that…" she said, catching her breath.

He smiled. "Sorry. How come you're up here by yourself?" he asked.

"Because Aqualad can't fly."

"What?"

"I was kidding," Em replied seriously. She recounted her little conversation with Aqualad and Robin laughed.

"Well, he's a nice guy," Robin said frankly.

Em stared at him coolly, raising one eyebrow. "I can play matchmaker Robin. You can't," she said. "No offense." She smirked a little.

"Forget I said anything," he replied, smiling again.

Em lapsed into silence, looking at Robin thoughtfully as he turned to the sunrise. She could understand why Starfire was so taken with him, though he wasn't really Em's type.

"So how are you doing?" she asked him gently.

"I'm a lot better off than the others," he said, sounding guilty.

"I'm going to go check on them then, if you don't mind," she replied. He shook his head and they both stood up. "What, are you coming?" Em asked doubtfully.

"No, I'm going to go to the gym and-" he began to reply.

"No, you're not. You need rest. Go watch some TV or something. Relax. I don't want to have to mop you off the floor of the gym," she said firmly.

He shrugged resignedly. Em smiled and walked down the stairs, Robin coming shortly after her.


	29. And Then There Were Six

**Chapter Twenty-Nine:** And Then There Were Six

"No, seriously. It's not because of you, Em. I just want to travel the world again. I want to clear my head. I haven't given you guys much reason to trust me anymore. I'm going to try the solo hero thing now that I have control. I promise I'll come back some day," Terra said, smiling at the six Titans assembled in front of the Tower to bid her goodbye.

"Well, if you're sure, we won't stop you," Em said, sounding as though she really did want to stop her.

"You'll always be welcome here," Robin said.

They all said their goodbyes and watched Terra leave with heavy hearts. Em and Terra had gotten to be great friends, but Terra had become restless. She needed to get away from the city, just as Em had.

"Don't worry Em, it's not your fault," Cyborg said to her, putting a hand on her shoulder.

Em sighed. "Yeah… but I'm still sorry to see her go," she replied.

The Tower was quiet again for a while, but Terra started to email them every few days, so they didn't feel so detached from her anymore. Even though Robin was worried about Slade, he didn't dive into his usual seclusion. Mainly because of Starfire. And even though Em was back, Beast Boy and Raven were spending more time together.

Em's matchmaker sense started to kick up, but since it was Raven, she decided to give them their space.

Em began to avoid the ocean. Whenever she got near the water's edge, Aqualad would pop up out of nowhere and try to sweet talk her again. She ended up grabbing him by the hair and throwing him back into the water when he called her a babe. She began to carefully avoid the shore after that incident.

Em found herself waking up in the middle of the night, having the same strange dream that she could never remember. She would be sweating and shaking and she always had a bizarre feeling that she didn't understand. She'd never encountered it before. It wasn't a bad feeling, but her stomach didn't agree with it. None of her personalities could agree on what it was.

Fire wasn't being very cooperative about it, however. She refused to say a word on the topic and would lock herself in her volcano when the subject came up, claiming that Em needed to figure this out herself. Needless to say, Em had the feeling fire knew what was going on.

Em went to Raven's room one day for advice, but before she got to the door, Raven walked out and right past Em. She hadn't even noticed her. Em stopped and watched her go. "I wonder where she's going…" Em said quietly to herself. It was nine o' clock and night had fallen. Raven was usually meditating around this time, so Em followed her. Raven walked outside, so Em returned to the main room to watch from the windows.

Em saw Beast Boy sitting next to the ocean, staring out at the dark water. Raven came down beside him and they started talking, but Em couldn't hear them.

Raven walked slowly toward Beast Boy. "Hey," she said quietly as she neared him.

He didn't turn around. "Hi," he replied.

Raven sighed sadly and crouched down next to him, but still just a little behind him. "I'm sorry," she said.

"For what?" Beast Boy asked, surprised, but still not turning around.

"About Terra. I… know how much she meant to you…" Raven replied, sounding more depressed than usual.

Beast Boy remained silent.

Raven put a hand on his shoulder and squeezed it gently. "Just remember that we're here for you…" she paused for a moment and looked down. "I'm here for you."

He was still silent, but this time it was because he was surprised. He reached up and held her hand. Raven realized how very warm his hand was and pulled away, beginning to stand up.

Beast Boy turned around quickly. "Wait, please don't leave!" he said quickly. Raven hesitantly sat down next to him. They lapsed into silence, but Beast Boy finally spoke.

"Raven, I'm sorry too. All I ever do is bother you," he said.

"Don't be sorry for that. You were just trying to be my friend. I never let anyone get close to me. I just don't want to get hurt…" Raven muttered in reply.

"…I'd never hurt you," he said gently, drawing closer to her.

Raven's first instinct was to back away, but something held her where she was. She looked into Beast Boy's eyes. "I know…" she whispered breathlessly.

Before they knew it, they were leaning toward each other.

Em watched from the Tower, smiling slightly as Raven and Beast Boy's lips met. She sighed and walked away from the windows, deciding to talk to Raven later. Her weird mood swings could wait.


	30. Visions of a Dream

**Chapter Thirty:** Visions of a Dream

Even though Em thought it was adorable that Raven and Beast Boy had shared a 'moment', it became immediately apparent that they weren't up for a relationship like Robin and Starfire's. Things went back to normal between them.

Em thought they were lucky, because her illusive dream continued and her emotions were at their limits because of it. She became abnormally quiet, preferring time alone to think as opposed to being in the thick of things with her friends. Needless to say, the Titans were taking notice.

So, about a week after Raven and Beast Boy's 'confrontation', Raven looked into Em's room. She had missed lunch, and Em barely ever passed up a chance to eat. Raven saw the elemental titan meditating in the center of her room with a mirror on the floor in front of her.

Raven had given Em the mirror for Christmas all those months ago. But it was not an ordinary mirror. It was for meditation, and allowed Em to enter her own mind. Raven had a similar one that Beast Boy and Cyborg had the misfortune of stumbling upon.

Raven slowly approached Em, wondering if she was near consciousness. Raven looked down at the mirror. It was glowing slightly, and there was no reflection in the glass. In fact, it resembled the surface of a lake; no doubt the lake in the center of Em's mind. Raven concluded that Em was deep in meditation, so she left the room and closed the door.

Raven had been correct in assuming that Em was nowhere near the conscious world. She had been about to go out to lunch, when she had a vision. Em had never had a vision before, but she knew what it was because Raven had explained them to her. She had seen herself approaching a young man she didn't recognize. He was entirely in shadow, but for his masked eyes.

Em's first thought was that it was Robin, since the mask was nearly identical, but the boy was taller. She stopped in front of him, and then the vision ended as suddenly as it had begun. She didn't know how, but Em was sure it was from her dream. So she sat down with her mirror and began to meditate.

Em opened her eyes and found herself in the familiar lakeside forest of her mind. She turned around and saw the doors leading to the domains of her many personalities. She turned again and flew out to the center of the lake and hovered cross-legged a few feet above the surface. She held a hand over the water, eyes closed.

A light shone from the bottom of the lake, and then the vision played across the water like a television screen. Em watched it carefully, searching for any clues, but there was nothing but a masked shadow.

"Since I know you were going to come banging on my door anyway, I decided to come here instead," a familiar, annoyed-sounding voice said. Em looked up and saw her fire element sitting in the air in front of her.

"Good to see you, too," Em replied sarcastically.

Fire laughed. "You're becoming more like me every day," she commented with a sly smile.

"Is that a good thing or a bad thing?" Em smiled in return.


	31. Upside Down

**Chapter Thirty-One:** Upside Down

"So you've had a vision of that dream. Lucky me, I've seen the whole thing," fire said carelessly, looking uninterestedly at her finger nails.

"You've seen my whole dream?! What, are you holding that back too?" Em replied resentfully.

Fire glanced up at her. "Come on, I learned my lesson from that one. So when you see this guy, don't worry, you won't pass out," she smirked again.

"Who is 'this guy'?" Em burst out in exasperation.

"If you don't know, I can't tell you."

"You and Aqualad should get together sometime," Em said sourly.

"Why?"

"Because you're both very good at annoying me!"

Fire just laughed a little. "You'd actually put me on his level? I have a reason to keep this from you. Aqualoser is just pathetic," she said.

Em agreed, though she didn't say it. "And what might that reason be?"

"They call them premonitions for a reason, Emily. It'll happen eventually. Messing with the future is a sticky business," fire warned.

"How do you know all this stuff?!"

Fire smiled at her again. "Not only was I your first element, but I'm your Conscience," she said, leaning back slightly. Then she added darkly, "One Jiminy Cricket joke and this forest will be Mount Saint Helens all over again."

Em laughed. "You're my Conscience? You learn something new every day," she commented.

"So, any more questions, Emily?" fire said. Em smiled a little. Her fire element was the only one who could call her Emily.

"Yeah. What the heck is this weird feeling that keeps turning my stomach upside down?!" Em blurted.

"That, dear Emily, is something even I don't understand completely. You'll have to discover the truth yourself on this one," fire said honestly. "I hope I was of some help." With that, she disappeared in a blaze of flames. Em looked over and saw the first door glow briefly.

Em sighed. She let her fingertips drift over the water and the image disappeared. She flew back to the edge of the lake and approached the last two doors. She placed her palm flat against the first one and closed her eyes.

The doorknob glimmered purple for a moment, then returned to normal. She did the same to the other door, and the doorknob glowed green. She sighed again, pondering the clues she had just been given as to what her next powers would be and wondering how she would look with purple hair as she slowly woke up.


	32. Return Of The X

**Chapter Thirty-Two:** Return of the X

Em's dreams continued for another week. She stopped bugging her fire element about it and decided against asking Raven about it. She decided it was a personal problem that she had to solve herself.

Crime in the city was at an all time low, Slade seemed to have disappeared, and Terra was still keeping in contact with the Titans. Everyone was happy in the tower, except for Em, who was pretending to be happy. Overall, the team was finally beginning to relax when the next big problem reared its ugly head.

It was a beautiful day in Jump City. The Titans decided to go out for pizza. Nothing could have spoiled their good moods. But when they returned to the Tower, something did. Robin's safe had been broken into.

"What was in the safe?" Cyborg asked as he searched for finger prints.

Robin was leaning against the wall, staring woefully at the ceiling. He sighed, then said hollowly, "Red X's belt."

The Titans all stopped what they were doing and stared at him.

Em looked around at them all. "Wait, who's Red X?" she asked, confused.

The alarm went off. The Titans raced to the main room and saw a robbery report. Someone was pilfering through an old warehouse at pier thirty-five. A security camera feed came up on the big screen.

"That's Red X," Robin said, looking at the screen. "Titans, go!"

Em took one last look at the black-clad figure tearing through old crates before she followed the Titans out of the Tower.

Starfire told Em the story of Red X as they flew toward the pier.

"So he saved Robin?" Em asked, confused again.

"Yes. None of us are entirely sure why, except perhaps Robin," Starfire replied.

The Titans stopped outside the large doors of pier thirty-five. Robin had told Em that she would have an advantage over Red X, because there was nothing in his arsenal made to take her down. He explained that he had created the suit with the weaknesses of his teammates as guidelines, and since Em hadn't been on the team then, she was safe. For some reason, Em wasn't comforted by this information.

Cyborg blasted the door in with his sonic cannon. It clanged to the floor in the center of the warehouse. The Titans didn't see anyone there. Cyborg was about to use his thermal sensors when they heard a voice.

"Titans, eh? I figured you'd show up at some point," said the eerie voice of Red X. He became visible, leaning against a crate off to their left.

"Titans, go!" Robin shouted. The Titans leapt forward, but Red X flipped around to the right.

Em was the only one who hadn't charged. She had decided to wait for her opportunity, and it came the moment Red X dodged the rest of the team. She flew forward in her electric element and threw a kick at him, but he caught her ankle. She gasped and stared at him, expecting him to throw her, but he just looked at her, his eyes moving from her leg up to her face.

"Well what have we here? A new Titan. And a pretty one at that," he said smoothly, narrowing his eyes.

Em growled in response and did a back flip, swinging him down to the ground. He stood up quickly and winked at her as he dodged blows from the rest of the team. Em stared at him, mouth hanging open. A villain was flirting with her? _How cheesy is that?!_

She switched to her fire element. She took one look at Red X and froze. "Isn't that interesting?" she muttered to herself with a slight smirk. Then she jumped into the fray.

The Titans were falling one by one at the hands of the same old tricks. Beast Boy got fastened to a support beam with a sticky rubber X. Cyborg got his system crashed. Starfire's arms got pinned behind her and her ankles bound. Robin fell in the same way as Starfire. Raven, much to her anger, got a sticky X over her mouth.

Em watched Red X as she fought him. "I'll give you this, you have good aim," she said coolly as she hurled numerous fire balls at him, referring to the fact that he had shot all of his contraptions at her friends.

"Compliments already? Man babe, I think you're moving a little too fast for me," he replied, disappearing through a doorway in the back of the warehouse.

"Em, go after him! We'll get there as soon as we can," Robin shouted. Em nodded and took off after Red X. Robin had been right; he had nothing to use specifically against her, and for that she was thankful.

Em skidded to a stop when she entered the next room and changed back to her normal element. The room was pitch black but for one light shining in the center of the room. Red X was standing under that light. Em took a cautious step into the room, and the door slammed behind her. She spun around in surprise.

"Looks like it's just you and me," Red X said clearly.


	33. Charming

**Chapter Thirty-Three:** Charming

Em turned back and stared at Red X. She didn't know why, but she didn't seem to have any harsh feelings toward this particular villain. The way Starfire had described it, he was just a petty thief with some not-so-petty toys.

"Yeah, fancy that," she replied coolly. "Now are you going to come quietly?"

Red X laughed. "Your name's Em, right? That's what Robin called you anyway."

Em stared at him warily. "Yes… why?"

"I've taken a liking to you, Em. So, I shall give you the amazing privilege of seeing who I am. I'm going to take off my mask," he replied.

"What?!" Em said, not quite believing what she was hearing.

He remained silent as he reached for the bottom of his skull-like mask. However, as he began to pull it off, he stepped backward out of the light. He removed his mask right when she could no longer see his face. All she could see was an eye mask… just like Robin's.

_It's him… he's the boy from my dream…_

"That's not very fair, now is it?" Em said, keeping the shock from her voice.

"If you want to see my face, come here and look at it," he said, his voice different now that he wasn't wearing the mask. It didn't sound like Robin's voice, Em was relieved to hear. It was deeper, a little quieter, and held less emotion.

Em began to slowly walk forward. She had to be cautious with this, but for some reason, she didn't feel like he was going to hurt her.

Within Em's mind, her fire element was watching the events play out, a smirk on her face. _Movies are fun to watch even if you do know how they end,_ she thought interestedly.

Em stepped into the light in the center of the room. She was barely a foot away from him now. She stopped for a moment, wondering whether she should have trusted him enough to get this close. He answered for her by leaning into the light and kissing her gently.

Em's eyes widened in shock. She felt as though she had shut down. She didn't even think to pull away. She had never been kissed before, and though she realized she didn't even know this guy, she couldn't help but notice how wonderful it felt.

She was standing quite still, numb with shock, eyes wide, when he pulled away. He was smiling. Em blinked and looked at him. He had blond hair and was quite handsome, even with his eye mask on. She opened her mouth to say something, but nothing came out.

He smiled again and bowed, kissing her hand. "It was nice to meet you, Em," he said.

Em finally found her voice as he stood back up. "I still don't know who you are," she said.

"I'll see you around," he said mysteriously as he replaced his mask and disappeared into the darkness.

"Charming…" Em muttered, still not quite comprehending what had just happened.

The other Titans burst into the room. Em turned around slowly and looked at them, though not really seeing them.

"Um… where is he?" Robin asked uncertainly, seeing the expression on Em's face.

"He… got away," she said vaguely.

"Darnit! Are you sure?" Robin didn't feel very angry. He was more worried about Em. She was acting really weird. The rest of the Titans were thinking the same thing. Raven tried to figure it out, but Em's fire element was blocking her out. Raven figured fire was just in a bad mood. How very wrong she was.

Fire knew that Raven would try to contact Em's mind, and she figured Em would tell the Titans about her first kiss when she was ready. The red-headed personality was sitting over the lake in Em's mind, watching what was transpiring and blocking Em's emotions from Raven with a smirk on her face.

"Yeah… I'm sure…" Em replied quietly.


	34. A Shortage Of Princes

**Chapter Thirty-Four:** A Shortage of Princes

Em was silent for the next few days. She wasn't just being quiet anymore. She hadn't spoken a word since her encounter with Red X. She convinced herself she was an idiot. He had only kissed her to get her to let him go. She decided against telling the others, knowing it would just get her in trouble. But still, she found it difficult to stop thinking about it.

Em had shut herself in her room the moment they returned from pier thirty-five and hadn't come out while the others were around since that time. She was spending nearly every waking moment meditating, trying to smooth the whole experience over. But her fire element wouldn't let it go.

"Haven't you learned how dangerous it is to repress your memories?" she had said mockingly the first time Em had sat down with her mirror.

"I'm not repressing it. I'm trying to figure it out," Em snapped in reply.

"Touchy touchy, Emily. You're getting pretty defensive over something that meant nothing, as you put it," fire replied coolly.

"Oh shut it. He's a petty thief and a two-bit villain who only cares about himself. You know as well as I do that he only wanted to get away, and he used a weakness I didn't even know I had to achieve his goal," Em growled in reply.

"I know as well as you do, eh? Well, that alone is saying something," fire said, smirking.

"I'm just being stupid, and you know that too! I'm even weaker than I thought. I've become what I've always hated. I'm just some stupid little girl waiting for a handsome prince to rescue her. I don't need anyone to save me, in case you hadn't noticed, and even if I did, we're in the middle of an unfortunate shortage of handsome princes!" Em shouted.

Fire sighed angrily and looked away, knowing that Em was right. "Fine, you win," she muttered. Fire didn't like to lose.

"If I had a dad right now, I'd be angry at him for reading Cinderella and Sleeping Beauty to me every night…" Em sighed, looking down.

"So you do remember," fire said gently.

Em nodded.

"We had a good life back then," fire added quietly.

"I know. But we have a good life now too," Em pointed out, brightening slightly at the end.

"That's true," fire admitted. "You've been meditating long enough. Go talk to your friends, they're worried about you."

Fire disappeared in a burst of flames. Em retreated from her mind.

She opened her eyes in the real world and put her mirror away. She smiled a little. _Finally, some closure…_


	35. Didn't Mean A Thing

**Chapter Thirty-Five:** Didn't Mean a Thing

After her period of silence, Em rejoined her friends, loud and cheerful as ever. They didn't press her about it, though she did still lapse into silence occasionally and had a tendency to stare out the nearest window for a while.

Nothing much happened for a while, save for a tricky situation with Mumbo Jumbo, but it didn't take long to sort out. Em was finally setting her mind back into its normal rhythm, when a most unfortunate confrontation occurred.

Em was sitting in her room, staring out the windows as the sun began to set, when who should fly past her window but Red X. He was headed for the roof. Em stared out the window for a fraction of a second before jumping to her feet and slamming her door open.

She flew past the other Titans' rooms at such a speed that it was impossible for them not to notice. Robin and Raven poked their heads out of their doors and looked at each other. Raven shrugged and retreated back into her room. Robin decided to check up on Em later.

Em opened the door to the roof and saw Red X standing there, watching her.

"Hey there Em," he said.

She stared at him coldly. "Great, I can finally beat you fair and square," she snapped venomously.

"What, didn't that kiss mean anything?" Red X asked with mock tearfulness.

"Why don't you come over here and try it again?" Em replied angrily.

"I see. So you saw past the ploy. Too bad, really. If you weren't so clever, I could have made good use of you," he said carelessly.

"Huh, I guess I was wrong. You're much worse than a petty thief. You're a petty thief with an ego," Em hissed, switching to her fire element. "Now I'll ask you again: are you going to come quietly?"

"Does anyone?" he inquired mockingly.

That was the last straw. Em eyes and hands blazed with flames. She didn't even waste the energy moving closer, she just pegged him in the stomach with a barrage of fire balls from the door. He dodged them deftly and threw some x blades at her, which she caught between her fingers and melted. He gulped.

She flew at him with a speed her fire element had never reached before, fueled by her anger. She swung a fist at him. He side-stepped and threw a kick toward her back which she blocked. The hand-to-hand continued, and it was obvious that they were evenly matched. Em's elbow finally made contact with his lower abdomen. He flew ten feet and hit the roof hard, sliding to a stop right next to the edge.

Em flew over to him and put one foot on his chest, looking down at him. He became quite still, breathing deeply. She felt his muscles tense to throw her off and lifted her foot from him a few inches, then smashed it back down with enough force to knock over a bus. He gagged as his back was smashed against the roof. The concrete beneath him cracked.

"No broken bones I hope?" Em asked innocently, smirking much more evilly than was natural for her fire element. His eyes narrowed and he grabbed her ankle, but she just laughed.

"Didn't you learn before that it's not nice to touch a lady's legs without her permission?" she said lightly, doing a back-flip and bringing him crashing to the ground behind her. "Darn, I repeated a performance. I'll never forgive myself," Em said with mock shame, grabbing X by the front of his shirt and lifting him off the ground.

She brought him to her eye level, his feet dangling a few inches from the roof. At that moment, the door swung open and Robin appeared. "Hey Em, I heard a crash and- !" he gasped at the sight of Red X being suspended in Em's death grip.

Em looked over. "Oh, hello Robin!" she said cheerfully. "Look what the cat dragged in!"

She grabbed the front of Red X's mask and pulled it off, revealing the blond hair and eye mask. She tossed him on the roof in front of Robin and landed, placing the mask in Robin's hands as she walked past. "He's all yours," she said carelessly as she walked down the stairs.


	36. Purple

**Chapter Thirty-Six:** Purple

Robin had stood in shocked silence for nearly a minute after Em had handed Red X to him. He snapped back to his senses when X groaned. Robin had no idea what was going on, but that didn't stop him from tying X up and giving him up to the police. He put the mask in the evidence room and locked Red X's belt away, having fixed his safe.

"That ended kind of suddenly, didn't it?" Em said brightly to her fire element. Em had walked straight to her room after her defeat of Red X and shut herself in to meditate.

"Yeah…" fire replied suspiciously. "He was holding back."

"What?" Em snapped.

"He wasn't fighting to his full. He could have beaten me if he had tried," fire replied dully.

"What's with you being so gloom and doom? We beat him, end of story. I'll never have to think about him again," Em replied stubbornly.

"But you will keep thinking about him, even if you don't have to," fire shot back. "That wasn't exactly a fairy-tale ending. Something was wrong."

"I wasn't looking for a fairy-tale ending," Em replied hesitantly.

"You need to talk to someone apart from me," fire said boldly. "Tell Raven or Starfire. They listen to you just as well as I do."

Em nodded and retreated from her mind.

Em hesitantly approached Starfire's door. She stopped outside it and looked up and down the hall. The rest of the Titans were in their rooms, apart from Robin up on the roof. She took a deep breath and knocked on the door.

"One moment please!" Starfire's voice called from within the room. Em smiled a little. Starfire was always happy when there was nothing to be unhappy about. The door opened seconds later.

"Hello Em! Erm… what is up?" Starfire asked cheerfully.

Em smiled again. "I need to talk to you if you're not busy," she replied.

"I am never too busy to talk to my friends. Please come in," Star said as she stepped aside to let Em into her room. Em wasn't particularly fond of the color purple. But she reminded herself that her next element would be purple and decided that she had better get used to it.

"Please, sit down," Starfire suggested politely.

"Thanks," Em said, smiling as she sat down on the end of Star's bed. Starfire sat down across from her.

"So, what is it you wish to talk about?" Starfire asked, unable to keep the curiosity from her voice.

"I have to tell you something that you must never tell anyone else as long as you live," Em said, her voice quiet but serious. "Especially Robin."

Starfire's interest was sparked. "I promise I shall never tell a soul," she whispered confidentially.

Em took a deep breath and told the Tamaranian girl everything about Red X from the kiss to the capture. Starfire listened intently through the whole story and remained thoughtfully silent at the end.

"I am very glad you thought you were able to confide in me," Starfire began slowly after a few minutes. "But I believe there is someone else you need to talk to."

"Who?" Em asked.

"Red X," Starfire replied seriously.

Em was about to protest, but she stopped. "You're right…" she muttered. They became silent for a while, but then Starfire smiled a little.

"When he kissed you… did it feel wonderful?" she asked quietly.

Em looked up, smiling in spite of herself. "Yes... I just wish it could have been with someone else… you know… that it had meant something…" she sighed.

Starfire smiled sympathetically.

"So how are things going between you and Robin?" Em asked slyly.

Starfire rolled her eyes, though she couldn't stop herself from beaming. "I could not be happier," she replied simply.


	37. Special Privileges

**Chapter Thirty-Seven:** Special Privileges

"Ha, you're actually relaxing. Did you seriously think I was finished with you?"

A mocking female voice woke Red X from his half-hearted sleep. He opened his eyes and groaned.

"I thought I wasn't allowed to have visitors," he growled, staring menacingly at the girl outside his cell.

"I'm a Titan you idiot. Special privileges," she snapped back.

"Wow, you're this angry, yet you haven't gone into your mad red-headed rage form yet. Too bad. I think red-heads are sexy," he said carelessly.

If looks could kill, Red X would have been struck dead by the glare Em gave him.

"You held back. The only thing I wanted was to beat you fair and square, to rub your face in it and never let you live it down. And you held back. You just can't let me win, can you?! What did I do to you that was so horrible?!" she ranted angrily.

"Come now, I hold no ill will toward any of my enemies, you accursed little witch," he replied airily, but Em could tell he was just saying that to cover the truth up.

She walked straight up to the bars, reached through, and grabbed the front of his shirt. She pulled him so he was barely a foot away from her.

"You're not nearly as scary without your mask," she hissed.

He scowled at her. "Yeah no kidding. You couldn't even let me keep it?" he muttered resentfully.

"You couldn't even show me a fair fight?" she replied. She could tell that her nearness was making him nervous, and she got quite a lot of satisfaction from it. "You make it seem like it was just a ploy to get away, and it worked quite well that way, and then you go and give yourself up to a merciless rage-fueled beating.

"I thought I'd gotten rid of you. I thought I'd never have to think about you again. I thought I could just let you rot here in jail. But now, because you held back, you've just opened yourself up to more pain. What do you want from me?!" Em shrieked.

The blond boy looked at her thoughtfully. "You don't remember me, do you?" he asked quietly.

Em let go of his shirt abruptly and backed away. "No. _Oh_ no. No no no no _no!_" she stammered. "You are _not_ about to tell me what I _think_ you're about to tell me!"

"I lived in that town, Em. I knew you. I knew Terra," he began slowly and clearly. Em was shaking her head slowly, eyes closed, trying not to listen. "I always used to pick on you when we were little. You were very strong for a six year old. You never cared. I only did it so you would notice me."

Em's memories were flooding back. She was backed up against the wall behind her, reliving her past.

_A blond boy with bright green eyes and a mischievous smile was always pulling her hair or calling her 'Flemily'. The little brown haired girl with the ghost white eyes would stick her tongue out at him and laugh with her friend, another little girl with long blond hair and blue eyes. The boy would walk away pouting, only to return and try again later._

"I went after you when you left," he continued, a little louder now. "I came to Jump City after you, and I never found you. An old lady took me in, but she died when I was ten. I became a thief, a criminal, living one day at a time. Then I got my hands on Robin's suit and became Red X. You know the rest."

"No…" Em was whispering with her eyes closed tightly. "You can't be him… you can't be… Jase…"

"Hey, you do remember me," Jase said, flashing his smile, that same smile that he had worn ten years ago.

"God, Jase! Why did you follow me? Why do you have to do this to me?!" Em shouted. She ran from the prison. Jase sat down on the floor of his cell and sighed.


	38. Behind The Mask

**Chapter Thirty-Eight:** Behind the Mask

Em didn't return to the Tower after she ran from the prison. She didn't know where to go. She was confused. She was hurt. And she didn't know why. So, she went to the one place she felt like she could be alone: the clouds. She soared up into the sky and let herself drift on the wind for hours.

She returned to the Tower in her ice element, one which the Titans rarely saw. They were surprised by the dull look in her eyes, as though she was devoid of all emotion, unable to feel. Starfire was the only one who knew she had visited Red X, and she knew that Em's odd behavior was a result of that visit, but she didn't say anything. She kept her promise.

Em did not meditate that night. She switched back to her normal element and felt her immense emotional pain close in on her. She couldn't sleep. All the other Titans were in their beds, so she crept out to the main room.

For some reason, Beast Boy couldn't sleep either. He could tell something was wrong. He got out of bed and saw that Em's door was open. He looked in her room and noticed that she was not in it. He knew where to find her. He walked to the main room and saw her sitting on the couch, staring out the windows, just like her first night at the Tower nearly a year ago.

A thought suddenly struck the green hero. "Hey," he said as he leapt over the back of the couch and sat down next to Em. "You lied."

Em looked over at him, surprised. She looked rather dazed, as though she hadn't noticed he was there. "What?"

"When we first met, you said your name stood for EleMents, not EMily. But Terra called you Emily," Beast Boy said, crossing his arms.

"Oh… that," Em sighed. "I didn't know my name stood for Emily. I had forgotten."

"So you and Terra were really good friends back then, huh?" Beast Boy asked.

"Yep," Em replied shortly. _Along with Jase…_ she thought miserably.

"Small world, eh?" Beast Boy added with a smile. Em merely nodded. Beast Boy stood up and stretched, yawning. "I'm gonna head back to bed. Good night, Emily."

Em's eyes widened a little and she turned and watched him walk out the door. But then she smiled. "At least he's not calling me Flemily," she sighed, and she went back to bed.

The next morning, Em paid another visit to Starfire's room. She explained what had happened at the prison. Starfire wore a look of wide-eyed astonishment when Em finished.

"He knew you all along?" she said incredulously.

"I know. It's hard to believe, isn't it?" Em replied dully.

"Well, now you know why he was holding back, and why he took off his mask," Starfire suggested awkwardly.

"You're so lucky, Starfire," Em sighed suddenly.

"How so?" Star questioned.

"You have someone who truly loves you, and you love him in return. You don't have to question it, it's a fact," Em said wistfully.

Starfire smiled a little. "You'll find someone," she said.

"It's not that I want to find someone," Em said thoughtfully. "I just don't want to be confused like this anymore."

Starfire had been thinking of Em's words all day. Around sunset, she decided she needed to talk to Robin. She didn't find him in the gym, his bedroom, the main room, the library, or the garage. So she went to the last place she thought she'd find him.

Sure enough, Robin was sitting on the roof, watching the sun sink below the horizon. Starfire sat down next to him. "Hey, Star," Robin said happily when he saw her. He took her hand and kissed it. She smiled brightly. Just being near Robin like this was enough to make her feel like there was nothing else in the world that mattered.

"Robin? I have been thinking lately," she said thoughtfully. He listened intently, drawing his gaze away from the sunset. "What are you hiding?"

Robin was confused. "I'm not sure I know what you mean," he said truthfully.

"You must be hiding something behind your mask," Starfire continued. Robin looked suddenly uncomfortable. Starfire had expected that, so she placed he hand lightly on his shoulder.

"I have secrets, Robin," she said soothingly. "But I do not need a mask to hide them. I understand that you had been through a great deal of pain before we met. I also understand that you wear your mask to hide your secrets from your enemies. But I do not wish for you to hide them from me."

Robin looked away. "I… I don't know if I can…" he said quietly.

"Robin, I wish to help you," she whispered, concern eminent in her voice. "I wish to ease your pain. There is a boy behind that mask in a great deal of pain. A boy who is afraid. You do not need to be afraid to show me."

Robin knew she was right. In all truth, he had wanted to tell her everything about him the moment he met her. But he had closed himself off from the world a long time ago. Now that he had Starfire, however, things were changing. Now that he had someone to love, his secrets were bursting to be free. This was his chance.

Robin took Starfire's hands in his and guided them to the corners of his mask. She looked at him questioningly. "Are you sure?" she asked breathlessly. He nodded. She tugged gently at one corner, and it began to fall away. The mask was in her hand. She looked up and their eyes locked. He felt rebellious tears welling up in his throat.

Starfire stared back at the eyes she thought she'd never see, and she saw what she had longed to see. It was true, he loved her more than she ever could have expected. She pulled him into her gentle embrace. She felt his shoulders shaking as he buried his face in her shoulder.

"Hush," she whispered. She could feel all those years of pain being lifted from his shoulders as he cried against her. This was a side of Robin she never knew existed. He trusted her much more than anyone else. He was finally opening up to her as she had always opened up to him.

When his shoulders stopped shaking, he pulled away from her slightly. He was smiling. They both leaned forward at the same time. They shared a kiss with more depth and meaning than any they had shared before. When the broke apart, he held her close to him and the watched the stars appearing in the sky all around them.


	39. Seasons Change

**Chapter Thirty-Nine:** Seasons Change

Em's second Halloween with the Titans came and went. She still hadn't revisited Jase. She was trying to concentrate on other things and sort out what was going through her mind. She took her fire element's advice and began spending more time with her friends instead of meditating constantly.

Winter descended upon the Tower. Em loved winter. She loved snow for some reason. The Titans were very grateful for her fire element's ability to melt snow in seconds, because it meant they never had to shovel again.

Once the river was frozen, the Titans decided to take to the ice. Robin taught Starfire how to ice skate, while Em and Raven taught Cyborg and Beast Boy how to lose at ice hockey. Everyone was surprised when Raven agreed to play, but she admitted to Em later that she actually had fun.

Once they were done with the ice, Beast Boy suggested they visit the Winter Wonderland that was once the park and have a snowball war. Everyone agreed, including Raven (again, much to the surprise of everyone). They arrived at the park and found many people there. It had been declared a snow day, and people were skating on the pond and making snow men.

"Okay Titans, let's get this started! Girls against boys okay with everyone?" Beast Boy said, smiling evilly.

"Fine with me," Em said, cracking her knuckles. Raven and Starfire both smirked. Em could get as competitive as any of the boys.

Robin and Cyborg smiled as well. "Let's do this!" Cyborg shouted.

"Ready?" Robin asked cockily. Nods all around. "Titans, go!"

The Titans all ducked and dove behind various sources of cover. Em began hurling snowballs from behind a tree. Raven levitated snowballs into the air and shot them from behind a fountain. Starfire was in the air, dodging any projectiles shot at her and hurling snowballs back. Robin was dodging in the open. Beast Boy and Cyborg were behind a big pile of snow.

The battle lasted for hours and they came to a one-on-one battle in the end: Robin versus Em. Starfire wasn't quite sure who to cheer for. Robin pegged Em in the shoulder and she staggered. "Yes!" he shouted triumphantly, but was promptly knocked off his feet by a barrage of snowballs the size of dinner plates.

Star, Beast Boy, and Cyborg cheered. Raven smiled. Em helped Robin to his feet. He bowed, saying "Your snow-fu is best."

Em laughed and bowed back. "You were a worthy opponent," she replied. Then, without warning, she fell over backward in the snow. Robin looked down at her, startled. She jumped back out of the snow and admired her work.

"What, haven't you guys ever seen a snow angel before?" she asked as the Titans looked curiously at the ground. Starfire became very excited, so Robin taught her how to make a snow angel of her own.

Beast Boy and Cyborg made a pissed-off looking snowman which oddly resembled Raven. Raven used her telekinetic powers to manipulate the snow so that it looked like herself strangling Beast Boy.

Em sat down in the snow and smiled as she watched her friends. Starfire had slipped and pulled Robin down with her, so they were now sitting in the snow, holding hands and laughing. Raven was pelting Beast Boy and Cyborg with glowing black snowballs, wearing a satisfied smirk.

Though she sat by herself in the snow, Em didn't feel alone. She had her family right there with her. One of the greatest parts of having a family was watching them, just enjoying their company. Em fell back in the snow with a sigh, staring up at the sky. In the winter, the sky was like a canvas. It was blank and white with nothing to show but the low, woolly clouds heavy with snow.

Suddenly, another memory came back to her. This had been happening ever since Jase's identity had been revealed. Memories of her past life would haunt her when she least expected them to.

_Em couldn't have been more than five years old. She was in her fire element, sitting in the snow by herself._

"_I can't do it," she said miserably._

Come on, one more try! _her normal side urged from inside her mind._

"_Fine… one more try…" she replied. She brought one hand out in front of her and concentrated. Finally, a blast of flames melted the snowman in front of her. She jumped into the air with a loud "Yes!" of triumph._

Em snapped back to reality, realizing that she was breathing a little harder than usual. She closed her eyes. It began to snow. Whenever it snowed, the world was hushed. Everything got quieter. It was peaceful. It was silent.

Robin and Starfire's voices sounded muffled through the falling flakes as they spoke quietly. Beast Boy and Cyborg's battle cries were muted slightly. Raven wasn't making any noise anyway, having fallen back to reading her book.

Em kept her eyes closed. She soaked in the silence. _My head hurts…_

Silence was a wonderful thing. Em loved silence. It was great for meditation. But lately, she had been dreading her time alone in silence. Whenever she wasn't distracted by something, her thoughts would stray to Jase.

Jase, the boy she had forgotten. Jase, the boy who made her laugh when she was young, and cry when she was alone. Jase, the boy who had stolen her heart at age seven, and refused to give it back.


	40. Never Going Back

**Chapter Forty:** Never Going Back

"I'm going for a walk," Em said hurriedly as she walked past the door to the main room. The rest of the Titans were watching a movie and didn't pay much attention. They heard the main door of the Tower open, then close. They all snapped to reality and looked at each other, except Starfire, who had a sneaking suspicion as to where Em was going.

Em walked into the prison. She exchanged a few words with the guard, and he let her into the hall where they kept the maximum security prisoners. She made her way slowly down the long hallway and came to one of the center cells.

A blond boy wearing a black suit and cape was sleeping, sitting on the floor with his back against the bars of his cell. Em took a deep, calming breath and crouched down behind him. She placed a hand on his shoulder.

Jase woke up suddenly and spun around. He found himself looking straight into a pair of familiar white eyes. He smiled. "I thought you'd never come back," he said quietly.

Em sat back on her heels and looked at her feet uncomfortably. "I wasn't going to," she muttered.

"That's harsh," he joked. "So why are you here?"

Em looked at him levelly. It made him nervous. "I want to understand," she said clearly. "The Jase I remember would never do the things you've done. He'd never steal, he'd never hurt people. You don't belong here. But you have to be here. What have you done, Jase?"

"I told you before, I had no choice. It was the only way for me to stay alive. Do you know what it's like to live on the streets?" he replied bitterly.

"Yes," Em snapped back. "When I got stuck here, I ended up in the slums. It's terrible there. But I never became a criminal. I could have. I could have used my powers that way. But I didn't."

"I'm sorry… I didn't know," Jase said after an awkward silence.

"Now you do," Em replied briskly. She sat back against the wall behind her. "I want to get over you, Jase. Please tell me you don't still have feelings for me."

"I could," Jase began easily. "But I'd be lying."

Em groaned. "You haven't changed a bit!" she snapped. "You've always been stubborn as a mule!"

"But a cute mule," he added.

Em glowered at him. "Careful Jase, your ego might crush you," she grumbled.

"Now that the mood is lighter, why do you want to get over me so badly?" Jase said.

"I'm sick and tired of thinking about you. I want to stop caring. I want to get you out of my head and never let you back in," she said confidently.

"That doesn't answer my question," Jase pointed out.

"Fine! I want to be free of this," Em hissed. "I want to put the past behind me. I want to live my new life and not have to think about my old life. I can never go back anyway, so I don't think it's prudent to dwell on it."

Jase didn't have a reply. Em stared moodily at the back of his head.

Jase sighed loudly. "I suppose you have a point. You have a new life now. I guess I do too," he said crossly.

"Finally getting it?" Em replied scathingly.

"So I should just let it go?" he said quietly.

"Yes."

"Fine. You are free of my affection," he said comically with a smile.

Em found herself smiling as well. She didn't want to smile. The whirlwind on confusing feelings within her made her want to do anything but smile. But she smiled.

"Wow… it's been a long time since I last saw you smile. And no, those evil grins when you were kicking my butt don't count," Jase said, watching her.

"Jase, stop it. Please, just forget about me. Stop trying to get what you can never have," Em said seriously.

"Never?" Jase replied sadly.

Em shook her head. "I'm sorry. Never," she replied, standing up.

He stood up too, gripping his cell bars desperately. "Why?" he blurted.

"I'll admit I had feelings for you, Jase. But I've changed. I believe that there is one special person for everyone in this world. For me, you just… aren't him," Em replied. "You'll find someone else once you've served your time."

Jase sighed, but then he looked up with a small smile. "I understand. You're right, it was just a dream. Goodbye, Flemily," he said as she walked away.

"Goodbye," she called back as she walked through the door at the end of the hall. As she exited the prison, she realized that she had finally gotten her heart back.


	41. Gravity Of The Situation

**Chapter Forty-One:** Gravity of the Situation

Everyone noticed right away that Em was back to her cheery old self. She was in the thick of things all the time, except when she meditated with Raven. Starfire joined them occasionally in meditation. When Starfire began to meditate with them, Em could tell immediately that something had changed. She and Robin were acting different around each other. They were much closer.

During one particular meditation session, Em reached a new level of control over her mind. Raven sensed it immediately and they took a break. Starfire went to make congratulatory tea. As soon as the Tamaranian was out of earshot, Em and Raven looked at each other.

"I assume you realize what this new level of control allows you to accomplish?" Raven asked lightly with a slight smile.

"Yeah… I think so…" Em replied, also smiling.

"A few words of advice: never try it on Robin, he's too focused and would sense it immediately. Beast Boy isn't worth it, he doesn't think often enough," Raven paused while Em laughed. "Cyborg's mind is half mechanical, so you'll pick up radio broadcasts. I'm warning you now; it gives you a major head ache. And finally, Starfire."

They both heard Starfire sneeze, and something exploded. Em smiled.

"She wears her heart on her sleeve. You don't need to reach her thoughts to know what she's thinking about," Raven finished.

"So, do you listen to the other Titans' thoughts often?" Em asked. It sounded weird to her.

_I can listen to other people's thoughts_… she thought in wonder.

_It's a massive responsibility,_ her fire element said.

_You must exercise extreme caution,_ her water element added.

_Yeah, never get too greedy over it,_ her electric element replied.

"Only when I have to," Raven replied truthfully. "But tell me the truth here, because I know that when you first gain that power you pick up someone's thoughts whether you want to or not: whose mind did you read?

Em hesitated for a minute. "Starfire's," she mumbled.

Raven nodded wisely. "I thought you might. Her thoughts are very strong," she said.

Em nodded. Starfire had been thinking of that tender moment she had shared with Robin on the roof. Robin had opened up to her. Em was distinctly glad Raven had interrupted her discovery of this power, or she would have stumbled upon the secrets Robin had revealed.

_I'd never forgive myself if I had seen what Robin had told Starfire_, she thought.

_That's reassuring,_ her fire element replied, actually serious for once.

Em snapped out of conversing with her mind when the alarm went off. She and Raven exchanged a glance, then ran for the main room. They heard Starfire, who was already there, shouting, "I should have known!"

The Titans all looked at the big screen. There was a girl with black hair and violet eyes terrorizing the diamond mine.

"Hey, a Tamaranian! Anyone you know?" Em asked Starfire.

"Know her? I am related to her!" Starfire burst out angrily. She flew from the room. Robin ran after her, followed by the other Titans.

Em and Raven flew down the hall slightly behind the rest. "Um… did I strike a nerve?" Em asked awkwardly.

"Yes. That's Starfire's sister, Blackfire. She committed crimes all over the Centauri Galaxy and tried to frame Starfire for it. Then, she escaped from jail, took over Tamaran, and staged a war to get Starfire out of the way by betrothing her to a muck monster from some nearby swamp moons.

"She also tries very hard to snag Robin, just because she knows Starfire has feelings for him. Of course, she doesn't know they're together. Oh yeah, and she was the one who sent that yarkblat to attack Starfire, so I guess we have Blackfire to thank for meeting you," Raven replied.

Em smiled evilly and switched to her fire element. "Oh I'll thank her alright," she said, her voice sounding more like Blackfire's than ever, which Raven found ironic.

The Titans arrived at the old diamond mine where they had fought Slade's minions when Terra first joined the team. It was also where Robin and Starfire had fought Cinderblock as a distraction while Terra destroyed their team one Titan at a time.

But they didn't find Slade's minions, or Cinderblock, or Terra. Instead, they found Blackfire.

"Hey there baby sister. How are things with the big bad Titans?" Blackfire asked smoothly, smiling as she touched down on the ground in front of them.

"Hello, sister," Starfire hissed angrily. "What brings you to Earth?"

"Oh, you know, just wanted to catch up with my teenage do-gooder pals," Blackfire replied. "It's been so long since you banished me from my home planet, I started to get lonely."

Blackfire's eyes glowed purple and she launched several starbolts at the Titans.

"Titans, move!" Robin shouted. They scattered just before impact. Starfire immediately countered with her own starbolt barrage, but Blackfire took to the air and dodged them. Robin went after her with his bo staff and birdarangs, but she was too fast for him too. Raven hurled several pieces of heavy machinery at her while Cyborg repeatedly blasted his sonic cannon and Beast Boy dove at her as a falcon, but she just kept dodging.

"She's gotten much faster!" Starfire admitted warily.

"Faster, eh? That's where I come in," Em said, grinning evilly again as she changed to her electric element.

"What have we here? A new Titan that changes colors. How cute," Blackfire laughed.

"Trust me, I can do much more than change colors," Em said.

"Oh real-" Blackfire turned to Em to reply, but Em wasn't there. "Where did she-?"

Someone tapped Blackfire's shoulder. She looked around and was met by Em's electrically charged fist. But Blackfire was fast as well. She shot starbolts at Em as she fell.

Em got hit squarely in the stomach and hit the ground painfully. She sat up quickly, gasping for breath and rubbing her head. "Wasn't expecting that…" she grumbled, changing back to her fire element.

The battle was a long one. No matter what they threw at her, Blackfire's increased speed matched them blow for blow.

"We have to get her out of the air!" Robin shouted. Raven tried, and failed. Beast Boy tried, and failed. Cyborg tried, and failed. Starfire tried, and failed. Robin tried, and failed. The only one who hadn't tried was Em.

"Bring her out of the air, eh?" she said, her voice suddenly changing. She closed her eyes, and when she opened them, they were glowing bright violet. Her hair turned purple. The Titans all smiled in relief. A new element to the rescue. But they were all wondering: what was Em's new power?

"You really need to be a little more down to earth," Em said, raising one hand into the air. Her palm glowed violet, and a large bubble of dark purple formed above Blackfire's head. The bubble was live with crackling stars of black and white. Em brought her hand down through the air. The bubble enveloped Blackfire before flattening to the ground. Blackfire tried to fly, but she was weighed down by some unknown force.

The Titans jumped at the opportunity to attack her. She put up a good fight, but she lost easily. She was put in a maximum security chamber at the Jump City prison. As the Titans walked from the prison, everyone turned to the purple-haired girl.

"Gravity, my friends. Gravity," she said airily. Then she giggled. They all stared. Em… giggling?!

"So you can control gravity?! Dude! That's _awesome_!" Beast Boy exclaimed.

"I think so," Em replied, giggling again.

"No wonder this element is purple. She's as bubbly as Starfire," Raven said dully, a slight note of disgust in her voice. The other Titans laughed, except for Em, who, of course, giggled.

Em switched suddenly back to her normal element and blinked blankly a few times, shuddered, then laughed.

"What?" the Titans said in unison.

"My gravity element's personality is funny. She's a hopeless romantic," Em said, trying to restrain her laughter.


	42. Letting Go

**Chapter Forty-Two:** Letting Go

Later that week, Em walked into the gym for some training. She found Robin there, viciously pummeling the punching bag. Em thought of what she had found in Starfire's thoughts, and walked up behind him.

"Robin?" she said quietly, placing a calming hand on his shoulder. He was surprised, not having heard her come in.

"Oh! Em! What's up?" he said, breathing heavily and wiping his sweaty forehead.

"You've been kind of tense lately," she replied carefully.

"Yeah?" he said, sounding suddenly kind of uncomfortable.

"Talk to her. Tell her. She listens to you. She loves you," Em said softly.

Robin stared at her in amazement. Then, slowly, he nodded. Em smiled and walked across the gym to start her training program. Robin smiled at her and left.

Starfire looked up when she heard a knock on her door. "Who is it?" she called.

"It's me!" Robin's voice said.

Starfire smiled and ran to the door. She opened it and noticed that he had just been in the gym. "Do you wish to come in?" she asked, smiling at him.

He smiled back. "Yeah… I need to talk to you," he replied. Starfire took his hand gently and they sat down on her bed.

Robin took a deep breath. "You might have noticed… that I've been acting… kind of weird lately," he said hesitantly. Starfire nodded a little. He took another deep breath. "I just need to get some stuff off my chest. I really just need to talk to you, if you're willing to listen."

Starfire smiled again. "I could listen to you forever," she said, blushing.

He smiled at her in return. He looked down and took his mask off. Starfire stared into his eyes. _Such beautiful eyes…_ she thought.

Robin wondered where to begin. "I was born into a family of circus performers. We had an amazing act, and we were called 'The Flying Graysons'…"

"And that's when we found you. You know the rest," Robin finished. Starfire had listened intently to his entire life story. He had talked for hours. He realized that he had been holding Starfire's hand the whole time.

"I am glad you shared this with me," she said quietly.

"I wouldn't share it with anyone else," he replied with a sheepish smile.

Starfire smiled in return and moved closer to him. She kissed him on the cheek. He blushed slightly and pulled her a little closer, his hand on her waist.

"I understand why you wear a mask, but it is still a shame that you must hide your eyes," Starfire said, looking up into his eyes. "You have beautiful eyes, Robin."

Robin laughed a little. "Thanks, but my eyes are nothing compared to yours," he replied.

"You only say that because my eyes are dangerous," Starfire said with a grin.

"My eyes would be dangerous too if I could shoot laser-" he was cut off by Starfire's lips against his.

Em woke up suddenly. She sat bolt upright and looked around her room quickly. She was breathing a little more quickly than usual, and her head was throbbing dully. It was nearly midnight. She searched her mind for what had caused her to wake up, and smiled when she found the source. A very powerful surge of emotion had come from Starfire's room.

Though Em was smiling, loneliness swept over her. She pretended she didn't know why she had felt it. She told herself it meant nothing as she turned over and tried to fall back to sleep. She ended up staring out the window for hours. _It meant nothing…_ she said over and over. _Nothing at all._


	43. Romeo And Juliet

**Chapter Forty-Three:** Romeo and Juliet

Robin woke up very slowly. He felt something warm on his neck, and then it faded. It happened again. He blinked, realizing that he wasn't wearing his mask. He smiled suddenly, knowing what the coming and fading warmth was. He looked down, and sure enough, there was Starfire, breathing slowly as she slept.

They had fallen asleep together after their long talk. Robin realized that if could be anywhere in the world at that moment, he was right where he wanted to be. He'd never told any of the other Titans the story of his past. But then, Starfire wasn't just a Titan to him.

It was Em's turn to make breakfast that morning. She had catered to everyone's needs (normal _and_ non-dairy pancakes), and prepared enough tea for everyone. Beast Boy and Cyborg were hesitant about the tea, but she told them that they couldn't have breakfast if they didn't try it. As it turned out, they enjoyed the tea very much… while Em was in the room.

"Hey, where are Rob and Star?" Cyborg said halfway through breakfast. Beast Boy looked around, as though he too were just realizing that the two of them weren't present.

Em and Raven exchanged a quick glance. They both shrugged. "Still asleep," Raven suggested over the rim of her teacup.

Beast Boy and Cyborg grinned at each other. Then, without warning, they both took off running down the hall. Em and Raven chased after them, Em shouting, "Don't! You'll wake them up!"

Cyborg opened Starfire's door, the two boys giggling madly. But they stopped when the door opened. Raven and Em looked past them. Robin and Starfire were side-by-side on Starfire's bed, sleeping peacefully. Em smiled. Not even Cyborg and Beast Boy could disturb them. As the two boys turned from the door, grumbling, Em grinned at them.

"Wow, you two have hearts after all," she whispered. They ignored her and returned to the kitchen. Raven was still standing at Starfire's open door. Em walked up next to her and looked at the sleeping couple.

"If there have ever been two people who were as perfect for each other as those two, I'd love to meet them," Em sighed quietly.

Raven smiled a little and nodded. "They're giving Romeo and Juliet a run for their money," she replied.

"C'mon, breakfast," Em said, tilting her head back toward the kitchen and walking down the hall. Raven looked at her love-struck teammates one last time before closing the door and following Em.

Robin craned his neck up slightly. He smiled a little. "Hear that? They're comparing us to Romeo and Juliet," he whispered playfully.

"Are they not the characters who died at the end of the famous play by William Shakespeare?" Starfire asked, opening her eyes.

"Well… yeah…" Robin stammered. "But before that, they let nothing come between them."

"Could you explain the story to me?" Starfire said as they both sat up.

"Of course. Well, I'll explain what I remember anyway," Robin smiled and put his mask back on. "Romeo and Juliet were born into very different families who were feuding constantly, but the moment they saw each other, they fell in love…"

"Ugh. Rain. I don't like rain," Cyborg grumbled.

"I love rain!" Em exclaimed suddenly from right behind him, scaring him out of his wits. She had walked up behind him as he stared dully out the windows of the tower and watched the rain fall from an iron-gray sky.

"I personally prefer the sun," Cyborg replied sourly.

"You know what they say don't you?" Em said mysteriously. He shook his head disinterestedly. "Whoever says sunshine brings happiness has never danced in the rain," she finished dreamily.

"I always thought you were weird," Cyborg grumbled.

"I'd rather be weird than sitting in here all day," Em replied, sticking her tongue out at him.

"You can have your fun out in that cold shower, but I'm staying right here," he said stubbornly, crossing his arms and turning his nose up.

"Fine, stay here. But know this: you're missing out!" she replied tauntingly. He turned around to deliver an angry comeback, but the door was already closing.

Em tore through the Tower, banging on the doors of all of her friends. Raven, Beast Boy, Robin, and Starfire all looked curiously out into the hall from their rooms. "What are you all inside for? It's raining!" Em said, shooting down the hall toward the roof.

Raven sighed as she exited her room. "She's been spending way too much time in her gravity element…" she said as she walked down the hall after Em. Beast Boy followed.

"I have always found rain rather saddening," Starfire said truthfully. "I do not understand why it makes Em so happy."

"Only one way to find out," Robin replied, smiling. He took her hand and they followed the others to the roof.

When the four Titans reached the rain-washed roof, they found Em laying flat on her back, staring into the sky as the rain fell down. She looked up at the others when she noticed them staring at her.

"What, haven't you ever laid in the rain before?" she asked them like it was a silly question. They all shook their heads mutely. Starfire smiled, catching on to Em's excited vibes. Em repeated her dancing in the rain quote.

Beast Boy laughed maniacally and turned into a duck. He started waddling madly through a complicated puddle path. Starfire giggled excitedly and began dancing around in circles. Robin smiled broadly and took her hand. Starfire grinned in return and pulled him around and around the roof with her. Raven sighed, shrugged, and folded her legs up under her to meditate.

Em smiled as she watched her friends. She looked at each of them thoughtfully, then grinned evilly. "Sliding contest!" she called. The others stopped what they were doing and looked at her. "You stand in front of the door, take a running start, jump, and see how far you can slide across the roof!" she explained, showing the Titans how it was done and coming to a stop a few yards from the edge of the roof.

Raven suggested that she be the judge. Beast Boy came in just under Em's score. Starfire beat both of them. Robin, competitive as he was, decided to take a longer running start.

"Robin, I don't think you should!" Em warned urgently.

"Come on, I'll be fine! You just don't want me to beat you!" he said as he ran forward. But Em was right. He slid too far and lost control. Em ran after him and tried to stop him, but it was too late.

Robin slipped right off the edge of the roof.

Starfire screamed. "Robin!" She took off flying after him, but she'd never catch him in time. He shot a birdarang and she caught it, but her hands were wet and it slipped through her fingers. "Robin!" she screamed again as he did the last thing he could think of. He straightened into a diving position and plunged into the storm-thrashed waters of the bay.

Star dove toward the water, but something blue flashed past her and disappeared beneath the waves. A minute later, Em (in her water element) reappeared, dragging Robin up through the water with her. Starfire was at Em's side in seconds.

"He's fine, just moderate shock I'd say," Em said, trying to regain her breath.

"Thank you Em. I shall take him inside," Starfire replied, taking him gently into her arms and flying back inside.

Raven and Beast Boy landed next to Em. "Is he okay?" Raven asked, watching Starfire as she went through the doors.

"He'll be fine…" Em muttered, pushing her wet hair behind her ears. "I'm going inside."

Raven and Beast Boy followed her back into the Tower slowly.


	44. Fever

Sorry for the late update; I was really busy yesterday. So here's yesterday's chapter and today's will be up in a minute.

* * *

**Chapter Forty-Four:** Fever

Robin opened his eyes. He was lying on the couch in the main room. The windows showed that it was just getting dark outside. His vision was blurry and he felt very cold and very hot at the same time. He tried to sit up, but felt a hand press him gently back onto the couch.

He recognized that touch. "Starfire?" he said quietly.

"You should relax Robin," Starfire whispered, stroking her fingertips across his cheek. "You fell quite a long way into very cold water. You are running a fever."

"What time is it? Where is everyone?" he asked groggily.

"It is just past nine o' clock, and the others are out on patrol," she replied.

He tried to sit up again. "We should go too," he said determinedly.

She pushed him back down again. "You are not going anywhere. You are ill, and I am taking care of you."

Robin felt embarrassed suddenly. "You… don't have to…" he muttered.

"Hush," she whispered, placing her fingers on his lips as she had done that night so long ago. "I know I do not have to Robin, I want to." She leaned over him and kissed his burning cheek. She leaned back, smoothed his sweat-dampened bangs out of his eyes, and removed his mask.

Robin felt something cold and wet against his forehead. Starfire was holding a damp rag to his brow. He smiled and took her other hand in his, realizing quickly that he wasn't wearing his gloves. He had never touched her with his bare hands before.

In spite of herself, Starfire felt a thrill when Robin's bare fingertips made contact with her skin. She smiled contentedly as she held the cold rag against his burning forehead. He gave her hand one final squeeze before falling into a peaceful slumber. Starfire bent down and kissed his lips lightly. He smiled in his sleep. She held on to his hand, still smiling.

The next morning, the Titans returned from guard duty to find Starfire sleeping beside Robin.

"The drama never ends in this place," Raven said sarcastically as she left the main room.

"Come on, it's cute!" Em replied as she followed Raven down the hall.

Cyborg and Beast Boy walked over to the couch, stifling their laughter. They both prepared to make loud farting noises, but before they could execute their evil plan, Em's voice rang out from the doorway.

"Don't even think about it."

The boys froze, realizing how very much like Blackfire she sounded and figuring out that she was in her fire element. They laughed weakly and walked away, muttering angrily. Em, hair and eyes blazing red, smiled triumphantly and disappeared down the hall.

Em sat down on the floor in her room, placing her mirror in front of her and finding her center. She left the conscious world swiftly and found herself on the shores of her mind.

"It's been awhile since you've come for a chat," her fire element said, coming up behind her.

"I've noticed," Em replied with a small smile.

"Yeah, well you need to have a serious conversation with grav-girl. She's driving me nuts," fire said darkly.

"What do you mean?" Em asked, smiling in amusement.

"She's taken to haunting my volcano," fire replied disgustedly, adopting a high-pitched, swooning voice. "'_Ooooooo,_ fire! _Don't_ you think Em should _really_ go see Jase? They're _such_ a cute couple! Blah blah blah blah _blah_!'"

Em laughed. "Okay, I'll tell her to stay behind her own door. But I'd like to pay everyone a visit, see how things are in their areas," she said, walking toward the line of doors.

"Great. Talk to her then. Just keep her out of my volcano!" fire replied, disappearing in an angry blaze of flames.

Em smiled as she approached the second door, her fingers resting on the rain drop carving when she grasped the doorknob. She pulled the door open and found herself facing a vertical wall of water. She walked through and found herself in an undersea grotto. It was like a cavern in a shoal, so the top opened to the sky above and the sun shone down into the vast spherical cave. Em was always reminded of Ariel's secret place in The Little Mermaid.

Though she was underwater, Em walked across the floor of the cavern, looking all around her. She hadn't visited there in a while. She didn't need to breathe in her own mind, so that was covered. Em smiled. Her water element was very artistic. Carvings spread across the cavern walls. There was no particular order or system to it; it was wild beauty.

Em spotted her water element hovering halfway up the left wall, blasting a powerful but precise jet of water at the rock with her index finger. The jet was so strong it carved an image in the rock. Em took off in the water and hovered up next to her water element.

"So, has your muse come to visit?" she asked with a smile.

"Yeah, and so have you. To what do I owe this pleasant surprise?" her water element replied, turning and looking at Em long enough to meet her eyes and smile before refocusing on the rock wall.

"Just thought I'd see how everyone was doing. I haven't been into any of your realms in a long time," Em said truthfully, watching water's progress. "What are you making today?"

Water shrugged. "Just depicting an idea Raven gave me," she replied.

Em backed up a little to see the whole picture. She smiled. It was a scene from Romeo and Juliet. Juliet stood upon a balcony while Romeo spoke to her from a tree nearby. The couple strongly resembled Robin and Starfire.

"Did you know that Romeo and Juliet is a rewrite of the Greek myth, Pyramus and Thisbe?" water added carelessly as she focused on her art.

"Yep. Did you know that West Side Story is a modern rewrite of Romeo and Juliet?" Em replied.

Water looked up for a moment. "Really? Hm. Didn't know that one," she resumed her work.

"I'll leave you to this. See you around," Em said, turning back toward the door.

"Come again soon, I enjoy the company," water replied as Em walked out the door.


	45. Behind Their Doors

**Chapter Forty-Five:** Behind Their Doors

Em's next stop was her electricity element's domain. She opened the door and looked in. Electricity's home was up in the clouds. Em's hyper element enjoyed having all that space to fly. She would often tear at high speed through a complex obstacle course of thunderheads.

Em took a step through the door and onto the floor of clouds. They supported her weight, so she began to walk through the vast plain of thunderheads. The place was always lit as though the sun was just sinking below the cloud line, so everything was brightly lit on one side and dark on the other.

Em wove in and out of the dark shadows behind massive cloud formations, enjoying the peace and quiet… until…

"Hey there!" a shout came from right behind Em. She turned around and saw her electric element landing next to her. "I just beat my all time record!"

Em smiled. "Congratulations," she said, sounding slightly sarcastic.

"Hmph. Obviously you don't understand this game," electricity replied haughtily, but she smiled back. "Good to see you. You haven't been inside your head in a while."

"I know, and that's exactly why I'm here," Em said, looking around the land above the clouds. "So how are things? Is gravity adjusting well?"

"She's doing great! We're getting along really well," electricity said excitedly, smiling broadly.

Em recalled her fire element referring to the fact that her gravity element talked incessantly. _No wonder they get along_, she thought amusedly as electricity dove into a detailed explanation of the many races she had beaten gravity in, talking extremely fast all the while.

Em listened quietly. "Well, it makes sense that you won all of them, since you're the fastest," Em pointed out.

Electricity grinned. "Yep. I sure am! But it's still fun to race. Do you want to?"

"Um, no thanks. I want to check up on everyone else. It was nice talking to you!" Em said quickly, turning back to the door.

"See you later!" electricity replied, waving.

Em approached the next door and opened it slowly. She walked in to a winter wonderland. Fir trees laden with white were scattered throughout the area, along with a frozen lake. The snow was deep and perpetually falling. It was very quiet.

Em began to walk through the snow toward the frozen lake. When she reached the shore, a voice rang through the silent snowfall.

"What are you doing here?"

Em looked to her left and her white eyes met a pair of ice blue ones. Her ice element was looking at her with little interest, arms crossed.

Em smiled at her. She had never completely gotten along with her ice element. Then again, nobody completely got along with her ice element.

"I just thought I'd drop in, you know, say hello," she replied warmly.

Ice raised one eyebrow. "Hello. Is that it?" she asked sarcastically.

Em sighed. "I guess."

"Then kindly see yourself out," ice replied, pointing at the door.

"It was nice talking to you too," Em said sarcastically as she walked out the door.

Behind the fifth door, Em found herself on a never-ending plain of rolling hills and tall green grass. The sun shone brightly and a warm breeze blew across the hills constantly. A girl with silver hair was meditating nearby. Em walked over to her, and her wind element opened her silver eyes.

"Hi. Is there something wrong?" wind asked quietly.

Em sat down across from her. "No, nothing's wrong. I just wanted to see how you were," she replied with a smile.

Wind smiled a little as well. "Oh, I'm fine thank you. And you?"

"I'm great, thanks," Em replied, looking around. "I love your place. It's perfect for meditation."

Wind smiled a little more. "Thank you. It is perfect for meditation because I meditate so often," she laughed a little.

"You don't have to meditate all the time you know," Em suggested, knowing full well that wind spent most of her time meditating.

"I know, but I have to a lot. My power is one of the strongest, but the hardest to control," wind replied.

"Point taken. I'll let you continue," Em said, standing up.

"Goodbye!" wind replied, closing her eyes and falling back into her trance.

Behind earth's door, it looked like a rocky mountain pass. Earth was sitting on a ledge, looking out over the mountain range. Em sat down next to her.

"Hello," earth said simply, not removing her gaze from the sprawling mountains.

"Hi, how's it going?" Em replied, also looking out across the landscape.

"Can't complain. What brings you around here?" earth said in her usual disinterested way.

Em repeated for what seemed like the millionth time that she was checking on everyone.

"That's nice of you," earth commented, still not looking at Em.

"Thanks," Em replied, unsure of what to say. They sat together in silence for a while. Em didn't know much about her earth element, and her earth element never opened up to her. Eventually, Em decided it was time to leave. Earth barely noticed.

Em opened the next door to reveal a beach of white sand sparkling under the sun with the ocean spreading out to the horizon. Palm trees lined the beach, and the sun shone brightly.

"What's up?" Em's light element said.

Em looked up and saw light sitting in a palm tree nearby. She leaped down and walked over to Em.

"Just thought I'd drop in and see how things are," Em replied.

"Everything's great, thanks. I'm not blowing things up anymore during training," light said proudly.

"I've noticed," Em smiled. They sat down on the beach and talked for a little while. Em found it very easy to talk to her light element after what happened with Slade. Eventually, Em bade her farewell and moved on to the next door.

Dark's domain looked exactly like light's, except it was nighttime here. The full moon threw everything into a silver shadow, and the sand was black instead of white. Dark was meditating over the water, so Em decided not to disturb her and left.

Em approached the second door from the end. There was a star newly carved into the handle. Em turned the doorknob and pulled the door open. She walked through the door and found herself standing on an asteroid. Spread all around her were the stars and planets. Gravity's room was an asteroid belt floating around the cosmos.

"Em!" gravity shrieked excitedly, flying forward and grabbing Em in a bone-crushing hug that reminded her strongly of Starfire. "Like what I've done with the place?" the purple-haired element asked, looking around at her own private galaxy.

"Yeah, it's great," Em replied hoarsely, finally wrenching herself away from gravity's death-hug. "So, um, are you adjusting well?"

"Oh yeah, I love your friends, and all of your other elements! Fire is loads of fun to talk to," gravity replied.

"Um, about that, fire needs some time to herself… so would it be okay if you kind of… avoided her volcano for awhile?" Em said carefully.

"Oh sure, of course! She has been kind of grumpy lately," gravity admitted thoughtfully.

"Hehe, yeah…"

Gravity began babbling about how great things were and how much fun she was having. Em listened, but found herself slowly slipping into a kind of stupor. She would nod occasionally, but her eyes lost focus and she teetered slightly where she stood.

"Sorry, but I think I have to be going. Glad you're fitting in well!" Em said quickly as she snapped back to reality.

"Okay! Bye!" gravity replied, disappearing in a flash of stars. Em walked out the door and took a deep breath. She had to agree with fire on this one…


	46. Silver Bullet

**Chapter Forty-Six:** Silver Bullet

A door. Just a plain, simple door. Nothing incredibly strange about it, but for the fact that it stood at the end of a line of identical doors in the middle of a forest. Em looked at the final door ruefully. What power could lie behind it?

"Whatever it is, it's green," Em muttered to herself, placing her palm flat against the door. Green light shimmered around her hand momentarily.

_What element could be green?_ she wondered. _Well, nature obviously, but that's part of my earth element._ She couldn't think of anything else that would be green, so she gave up and returned to the conscious world.

It only took Robin two days to recover. Starfire was right next to him the entire forty-eight hours. Things returned to normal at the Tower. A few simple robberies, a tiff with an alien who crashed his ship into an abandoned pier, nothing major was happening. That is, until the first day of summer.

"Titans, we got a call," Robin said as he burst into the gym where the other five Titans were training. They dropped what they were doing and followed him to the main room. On the big screen was a video feed from a jewelry store security camera.

"Watch this and tell me what you see," Robin said, playing the tape. The Titans watched carefully. The clerk was sitting behind the counter, looking incredibly bored, when suddenly, the jewelry case next to the counter was open and every piece of jewelry was gone.

The Titans stared at the screen. "Whoa," Em said quietly.

"Now, watch it again in slow motion," Robin played the tape again. Before their eyes, a boy wearing a silver suit ran through the door, opened the case, and took all the jewelry at such a high speed that nobody could see him.

"That's not Kid Flash, is it?" Beast Boy asked.

"No. We don't know who it is. But we need to find out," Robin replied.

Over the next week, the villain who came to be known as Silver Bullet robbed three other jewelry stores, and the Titans weren't even able to see him, let alone stop him. Robin retreated to his room for a day or so and devised a plan.

In a jewelry shop in the heart of Jump City, the clerk sat nervously at the counter. So many robberies had been committed in his opponent's stores, right under their noses. The man had reason to be nervous. Suddenly, the door opened, seemingly of its own accord. A jewelry case near the back opened as well. The next moment, the door of the shop glowed black and slammed shut.

The jewels abruptly stopped disappearing from the case. A young man appeared suddenly next to the door, dressed all in silver with a black bullet emblazoned on the chest and small silver wings on the sides of his shoes and over his ears. He wore a mask much like Robin's, but more angular.

He pulled on the door handle. "What the-?" he began, but stopped when a birdarang stuck into the door right next to his hand. He turned around quickly.

"Looks like you were too slow," Robin said with a smirk. The other five Titans stood (or hovered) behind him.

Silver Bullet smirked right back. "I'm never too slow," he replied, and he disappeared.

"Titans, get ready!" Robin shouted warily, and the Titans settled into their combat positions. Before they knew what was happening, Cyborg was thrown across the room. He smashed through the back wall, making a gaping hole. Thankfully, the jewelry shop shared a wall with an old, empty warehouse.

The Titans rushed into the warehouse after Cyborg. Robin helped the android to his feet while Raven sealed off all the exits. Silver Bullet appeared in the center of the warehouse, facing the Titans.

"What's the matter Titans? Can't catch me?" he asked mockingly.

"Em, go!" Robin shouted.

Em nodded, smirking as her eyes and hair turned golden yellow.

"I'll take it slow for you, sweetheart," Silver Bullet said smoothly as Em landed in front of him.

"Gee, thanks," Em replied, rushing forward. Silver Bullet began running backwards, but he hadn't anticipated Em's speed. She caught him and gave him a cruel uppercut, sending him sprawling across the ground.

"What's the matter? Take it too slow?" Em smiled lightly, one eyebrow raised.

"Titans, go!" Robin shouted.


	47. The Final Door

**Chapter Forty-Seven:** The Final Door

After that incident, Silver Bullet did not underestimate Em any longer. He stayed in top speed at all times. Em couldn't catch him. Nobody could.

"Still think I'm too slow?" Em heard Silver Bullet's voice near her right before she was smashed into a wall.

"Uh…" she moaned, falling to the ground and nearly losing consciousness. She looked up and saw the huge indent she had made in the concrete wall. "Ouch…"

Starfire soon hit the ground next to her. "I believe we are fighting a losing battle…" Starfire groaned, rubbing her shoulder.

"Don't lose heart," Em replied, standing up and helping Starfire to her feet. "There is always hope."

It didn't take long for Em to start believing that Starfire was right. The Titans kept on trying, but they couldn't slow Silver Bullet down.

Throughout the battle, Raven sensed an odd change going on in Em's mind. The scales of power were shifting slightly. Raven suspected that this battle was going to end in Em's favor.

For the second time, Em got thrown against a wall. But this time, she didn't stand up. Robin, Raven, and Starfire all noticed. As they looked at her, she opened her eyes. They were bright green.

Raven gasped as an enormous surge of power erupted from Em's mind. Em's hair turned green and she stood up slowly, eyes downcast.

When Em looked up, her eyes were glowing brightly. She extended one hand toward the center of the room. Her face was expressionless as her palm glowed green. An invisible shockwave blasted from her hand and spread to the outer reaches of the room. When Em lowered her hand, the battlefield was frozen, suspended in time.

"Time," she whispered. "My final power controls time."

Em looked around herself in awe. She walked over to Raven, who was suspended in the air, palms raised as she uttered her incantation. Cyborg was shooting his sonic cannon in the general direction of Silver Bullet. Beast Boy was frozen halfway through transforming into a cheetah. Robin was crouched down next to Starfire, helping her to her feet. She had been smashed into the floor.

And there was Silver Bullet, racing toward Robin and Starfire with a cocky smirk on his face. Em walked up to him cautiously. He was just as frozen as everyone else. Em poked him experimentally. Nothing happened. She smiled and stuck her leg in front of his ankles. Then, she changed to her ice element.

The moment she was out of her time element, time started up again. Silver Bullet disappeared, only to trip over Em's foot and go flying straight over Robin and Starfire and slide across the ground. Em jumped into the air and froze him. She smiled again as she switched back to her normal form.

"I give you, Leadsicle," she said.

"How did you do that?" Robin asked incredulously.

Em smiled mysteriously. "My new element controls time," she said quietly.

Raven's eyes widened in surprise. "Time. Wow. I wasn't even expecting that," she admitted.


	48. Shindig?

**Chapter Forty-Eight:** Shindig?

The door of the main room opened. Em, Cyborg, Beast Boy, and Starfire all looked up from playing Tag Team Karate Match 3000 (recently bought by Beast Boy; Starfire and Em were whipping the boys royally). Raven glanced up from her book. Robin walked into the room, looking distinctly disgruntled.

Starfire abandoned her Gamestation controller and flew to Robin's side. "Robin! Do you wish to join us in a game of 'button-mashing'?" she asked.

"The game is called Tag Team Karate Match 3000!" Beast Boy shouted indignantly.

"That may be the title, but it's still a brainless button-masher," Em replied, tossing her own controller aside as the word 'WINNER' flashed across the screen. Beast Boy grumbled angrily under his breath for a while.

"Robin? Is there something wrong?" Starfire asked worriedly. He was staring straight ahead with a dazed look on his face. It seemed as though he hadn't heard a single word of what had just taken place.

"Robin? Are you ill?" Starfire continued, reaching up and placing her hand on his forehead.

Robin snapped out of his reverie when he felt her touch him. "What was the question?" he asked distractedly as Starfire took a step back in surprise at him coming to so suddenly.

By this time, all of the Titans were staring at him.

"No use pretending nothing's wrong, so spill," Raven said uninterestedly from behind her book.

The other Titans looked expectantly at their leader. He sighed and looked at his feet.

"I just got an email from my old mentor, Bruce Wayne," he began dully. That alone got their attention. "He's having a fancy party tonight, and he wants me to come."

"Sounds like fun! You should go!" Em said.

"That's not all though. He wants all of you to come. He wants to meet the team," Robin finished hollowly.

"Oh glorious!" Starfire exclaimed.

"Alright! Party central!" Beast Boy added.

"You mean… you guys want to come?" Robin asked, amazed.

"Why wouldn't we?" Em replied.

"I just… didn't think these fancy shindigs were anything you guys would be interested in," Robin admitted.

"What is a 'shindig'?" Starfire asked in confusion.

Robin knocked on Starfire's door. "Star? You ready to go?" he called.

The door opened. Robin stared. He didn't often see Starfire out of uniform, but when he did, he treasured the experience.

If Robin had cared to remember what Kitten had been wearing on the night of their forced date, he would have realized that Starfire's dress was nearly identical to Kitten's: strapless and floor length, but it was purple. She was wearing the same gloves from that unpleasant evening as well.

Starfire smiled at the look on Robin's face. "You look quite nice," she said quietly, looking at his tux (also from Robin's date, which Starfire had chosen to forget about).

"So do you. I mean, you look gorgeous!" Robin stammered.

Starfire smiled and took his arm. "Thank you. Shall we go?"

"Yeah, the others are waiting in the main room," Robin replied. They walked down the hall to the main room.

"Hey, you clean up nice Robin," Em said evilly as Robin and Starfire walked into the room. She was wearing a white dress much like Starfire's, but with straps. Robin looked down the line. Raven was in a black dress (big surprise there), and Cyborg and Beast Boy wore tuxedos like Robin's.

"Thanks," Robin replied in a no-nonsense tone. "Let's go. Star and I will ride the R Cycle, the rest of you are in the T Car."

A short ride later, the Titans arrived at Wayne manor. The Titans stopped before the doors.

"Yo!" Cyborg said, awestruck by the sheer size of the place.

"Man Robin, you sure lived it up before you were a Titan!" Beast Boy added.

Robin ignored them and rang the bell. It was opened by a familiar face to Robin.

"Good evening, Master Grayson," Alfred said, bowing.

"Alfred! Nice to see you again!" Robin said, smiling and shaking Alfred's hand, much to the butler's surprise.

The Titans walked in behind Robin. The ballroom was full of adults. Music was playing in the background. The Titans felt very out of place.

"Dick!" someone said. None other than Bruce Wayne walked up to Robin and shook his hand.

"Bruce! How have you been?" Robin asked.

"Great, thank you," Bruce replied.

"I'd like to introduce you to the Teen Titans," Robin said. Bruce looked at them thoughtfully.

"This is Victor Stone. We call him Cyborg," Robin gestured toward Cyborg.

"Nice to meet you Mr. Wayne," Cyborg said, shaking Bruce's hand.

"Raven, from Azarath," Robin motioned toward Raven.

"Pleased to meet you," she said, trying to sound like she cared when Bruce kissed her hand.

"Garfield Logan, we call him Beast Boy."

"Cool digs Mr. Wayne!" Beast Boy had been looking around the ballroom interestedly.

"Emily Sanders, we call her Em."

"Charmed," Em said with a smile when Bruce bent and kissed her hand as well.

"And this," Robin stood beside Starfire and smiled at her, "is Koriand'r, princess of Tamaran. We call her Starfire."

"I am very pleased to meet you, Mr. Wayne," Starfire said, giving him one of her dazzling smiles.

Bruce bent and kissed her hand, saying, "The pleasure is all mine, Princess."

Starfire and Robin both blushed a little. Robin was thinking he needn't have told Bruce that Starfire was a princess.

"Please, enjoy the party," Bruce said, and he walked away. The Titans went their separate ways. Em, Starfire, and Raven all went to a corner to people-watch. Cyborg and Beast Boy decided to go looking for secret passages behind coats of armor. Robin slipped out of the ballroom when he thought nobody was looking.

Robin knew the halls of Wayne manor very well. He found his old bedroom quickly. It hadn't changed much. He sighed.

"Do you… wish you still lived here?" a voice asked timidly from the door.

Robin whipped around and saw that Starfire had followed him.

"Of course not!" Robin said quickly. Too quickly. Starfire looked at him warily. He sighed again and sat down on the edge of his old bed. Starfire sat carefully next to him.

"I miss the place sometimes, but I left because I wanted to be free of this life. I love being a Titan," Robin looked up at Starfire and smiled. "Besides, if I still lived here, I never would have met you."

Starfire placed a hand on the back of his head and pulled him gently into a kiss. As soon as they had both closed their eyes, they heard someone clear their throat at the door. They broke apart and saw Bruce leaning against the door frame.

"I see you found your old room easily," Bruce said with a hint of a smile.

Starfire blushed furiously. "I believe I should return to the ballroom," she muttered quickly, slipping out the door past Bruce.

"Way to go," Robin mumbled resentfully.

"Oh, I'm sorry. I didn't realize you two were having a 'moment'," Bruce said, sounding slightly Raven-ish in his sarcasm. "I hope you don't get angry at criminals for wrecking your chances of getting kissed by a pretty girl."

"What's that supposed to mean?" Robin shot back, not at all liking the direction this conversation was going in.

"You shouldn't waste your time on crushes," Bruce replied.

"This isn't a crush! Star and I are… I mean we're… It's more than that!" Robin struggled to find the right words.

"So you're in love with her?"

"Yes." Robin thought he had won the argument. He hadn't.

"Love is dangerous in our line of work," Bruce replied. "I'd hoped you would have learned that by now."

"I'm not going to make the same mistakes you did!" Robin was careful to keep the anger from his voice. "I would never let anything happen to her, and even if I were to slip up, she's perfectly capable of defending herself."

"You say that now. But are you sure?"

"Yes! I'm sure!" Robin stood up quickly. "This is exactly why I left here in the first place. You never let me live my own life! I love Starfire, and I will be with her no matter what you say."

Silence. Then, "Good answer." With that comment, Bruce turned from the door and left in the direction of the ballroom.

Meanwhile, back at the party, Em was rather enjoying herself just drifting through the crowd. No teenage boys hitting on her, no jumped-up fans begging for autographs, no villain hordes trying to kill her. Just a bunch of strangers. Wait a minute, there's a familiar face...

Em stopped dead. "Oh my God…"


	49. A Crazy Robin Wannabe

**Chapter Forty-Nine:** A Crazy Robin Wannabe

Standing near the back wall, talking to Bruce and two other men, was an unmistakable blond-haired green-eyed boy. Em didn't know what to do, so she did the first thing that popped into her head. She changed to her time element and froze the party. She walked cautiously up to the boy and looked at him.

"What are you doing here?" she whispered, knowing he couldn't hear her. She felt like she was going to cry. _Why? Why me?_

Em left the ballroom and leaned against a wall just outside in the hallway. She changed back to her normal element and heard the party resume. She slid down the wall and sat on the floor, eyes closed, trying to figure out what to do.

She heard footsteps coming down the hall. "Em?"

Em looked up and saw Starfire walking toward her. "Where were you?" Em asked quickly.

"I was with Robin," Starfire replied. She was no longer embarrassed to talk about Robin with Em. "Why are you out here?"

"Jase is in there," Em replied, trying to sound off-handed.

Starfire stared at her. "But… is he not supposed to be in jail?"

"Yes. I don't know why he's here," Em groaned.

Starfire became concerned immediately. She had never heard Em sound so distressed. She felt the weight of Em's trust on her shoulders. Em had never told anyone else about Jase.

"Would you… like me to go speak with him? He does not know that I know who he is," Starfire asked hesitantly.

"You'd do that for me?" Em sounded depressed, but a little surprised.

"Of course! What are friends for?" Starfire smiled sympathetically.

Starfire walked up to Bruce, who was still speaking with Jase.

"Um, excuse me, Mr. Wayne?" she asked hesitantly.

Bruce turned. "Yes, Princess?" he replied.

"Do you know where Robin is?" she managed to mask how much she detested being called 'Princess'.

"I think he's still in his old room," Bruce said pointedly. Then he turned to Jase. "Starfire, have you met Jase here before? He lived in Jump City as well."

Starfire looked at the blond boy, who was staring at her like she was a ghost. "No, I do not believe we have met before," Starfire lied with fake curiosity. She smiled and shook his hand. "My name is Starfire, pleased to meet you."

"Um… I'm Jase," he replied uneasily. "Aren't you a… a Teen Titan?" he asked as though he didn't know.

"Yes, why do you ask?"

"Are… are the other Titans here as well?"

"Yes, they are. There are Raven and Beast Boy," Starfire pointed them out of the crowd. "There is Cyborg, Robin is in his room, and… where is Em?" Starfire pretended to look around for her.

"Em?" Jase nearly whispered.

"Yes. Emily Sanders. Have you met her before?" Starfire asked innocently.

Jase became silent, wondering what to say. Bruce and Starfire both looked at him questioningly.

"Well, um…" he began awkwardly.

But suddenly, someone grabbed his arm. He turned around and found himself looking at a brunette girl in a white dress, looking rather angry. "We need to talk," she said, and she dragged him through the crowd.

Bruce stared after them. "What was that about?" he asked.

"I do not know," Starfire replied, pretending to be mystified. "I shall… go find Robin now. Thank you Mr. Wayne." She walked back into the hall and made her way to Robin's room.

Em dragged Jase out onto the balcony. She let go of his arm and stared at him fiercely. "Well?" she said simply.

"Well what?"

"Why are you here?"

"I got released from prison."

"No kidding?" Em hissed sarcastically. "Why?!"

"Bruce came down to the Jump City prison about a month ago on business. He met me while he was there, thought I had potential or something. So, I was released into his custody. He's my mentor now," Jase said quickly.

Em stared at him. "He's your mentor?!"

Jase nodded.

"What are you, some crazy Robin wannabe?!"

"No, he told me I have skills. So, he's training me. Is that so hard to believe?"

"Yes! You were put in prison because you did something wrong, Jase," Em found herself nearly shouting.

"I know!" Jase shouted back. "But I'm not a criminal anymore. You told me I didn't belong there. That's not who I really am!"

Em sighed. "You're right, you deserve another chance. Sorry, I was just… surprised…" she admitted.

"That's okay," Jase replied. Then he looked away from her. "Say… since I'm not allowed to like you anymore, could I go for that Starfire girl? She seems cute…"

Em glared at him. "No you cannot 'go for that Starfire girl'! She's with Robin. You'd better stay away from her!" she snapped.

"Alright, alright, I was just asking," Jase replied hurriedly. "I still can't help thinking about you."

Em looked up at him slowly. "Hm?" she pretended she hadn't heard him.

"I know I'm not supposed to have feelings for you anymore…" he was moving closer to her slowly. "But I can't help the fact that I still do." He placed his hand under her chin and drew her up toward him.

Em was trying so hard to resist him. She was running out of opportunities to stop herself. Finally, she turned away forcefully. "Stop it Jase," she said quietly, staring at the ground and pushing him away.

"Why can't you just let me be with you?" Jase blurted in exasperation.

"I… can't. I just can't," Em replied desperately, turning around and walking back inside. She moved swiftly through the crowd and escaped into the hallway again. She sank to the floor in an alcove behind a suit of armor and buried her face in her hands, silent tears running down her cheeks.

Robin was still sitting in his room. Had he finally gained the respect of his mentor?

"Robin…"

He looked up and saw Starfire in the doorway again. She sat down in the same place she had been not long ago.

"Forgive me, but I overheard your conversation with Mr. Wayne," she said quietly.

"You… did?" Robin looked at the floor uncomfortably.

"Thank you," she whispered, laying her head on his shoulder and closing her eyes.

He wrapped his arms around her and kissed the top of her head. "You're welcome."


	50. Asking Nicely

**Chapter Fifty:** Asking Nicely

The next morning, Robin brought up a touchy subject during breakfast.

"Bruce told me he has a new student. A guy named Jase," he mentioned.

Em and Starfire had both just taken drinks of their orange juice. They choked into their glasses. The other Titans stared.

Em stood up quickly. "Hey, uh, I just remembered that I have to do that… um… thing," she said vaguely, trying to make something up and failing miserably. "I'll see you guys later. Thanks for breakfast!" She rushed from the room.

Everyone turned to Starfire. "I believe I must… go as well!" she said hurriedly. She flew from the room at top speed.

"That wasn't weird," Raven said sarcastically, returning to her tea.

Robin got up and followed Starfire. He found her sitting on the roof, staring distractedly out at the water.

"What was that all about?" he asked, sitting down next to her.

"I cannot tell you," Starfire mumbled, avoiding his eyes.

Robin smiled a little, raising an eyebrow. "You can't? Not even if I asked nicely?" he said quietly, smiling mischievously and leaning toward her.

Starfire laughed, trying and failing to sound exasperated. She leaned back slightly and placed her fingers on his lips. "Not even if you asked nicely," she replied, smiling in spite of herself.

Robin laughed with her. "We promised that we wouldn't keep secrets from each other," he mumbled past her fingers.

"It is not my secret to give," Starfire replied, still laughing. She finally had to resort to holding Robin back by his hair.

Robin reached forward and started tickling her. Starfire shrieked and let go of his hair, laughing harder as he tackled her to the roof and continued tickling her.

"No no stop!" she shouted between laughs.

"Okay," Robin replied with a grin. He stopped tickling her, but instead he leaned down toward her again. They were inches apart when the roof access door opened. They both looked over quickly.

"Hey guys I- whoa!" Em saw Robin practically on top of Starfire and turned sideways, holding her arm up in front of her eyes. "Sorry, I um… didn't mean to, eh, interrupt. I'll just, um, go now." She walked back down the stairs quickly.

Robin and Starfire looked at each other and laughed. Robin leaned back down, but Starfire stopped him with her hand again.

"I am still not going to tell you," she said quietly.

Robin smiled. "I know."

Robin and Starfire didn't come back downstairs until lunch. Em was careful to keep from smirking at them. It was oddly quiet at the table. Robin finally found the courage to ask.

"So, what exactly happened at breakfast?" he looked pointedly at Em.

Em scowled at him. "Well aren't we Mr. One-track-mind today," she grumbled.

"If there's something about Jase you think we should know…" Robin continued.

Em sighed, sounding frustrated. "And if I don't think you should know?" she asked dully.

"You'll tell us anyway," Robin replied.

"Fine!" she groaned. "This might take awhile though, so if you have any plans-"

"We don't. Now talk," Robin cut in.

Em sighed again. She proceeded to tell them the whole story, starting with the kiss. She admitted that she told Starfire about it and nobody else. They didn't seem to mind, thankfully. Em finished nearly an hour later with the party.

"So, when you brought it up this morning, I didn't know what to say," Em said. "Oh yeah, and then I saw you and Star making out on the roof."

Robin and Starfire both blushed. Beast Boy and Cyborg hastily turned their laughs into hacking coughs.

"Did we really need to know that?" Raven asked, though she was smirking as well.


	51. Life As We Know It

**Chapter Fifty-One:** Life As We Know It

A few weeks later, the alarm woke the Titans up at midnight. Em was the first to arrive in front of the screen in the main room. "This is not good…" she breathed.

Robin burst into the room, Starfire at his side. Em assumed they had been together, but now was not the time to ask. She turned around and looked at them. Robin and Starfire froze upon seeing the look on her face. Fear? Anger? Worry? It was hard to tell what she was feeling.

"Two prisoners got sprung," Em said.

"Which two?" Starfire asked warily.

"Blackfire and Silver Bullet."

Robin and Starfire both gasped. Raven and Beast Boy entered the room, followed by Cyborg. Robin filled them in.

"I doubt it was a coincidence," Cyborg said.

"Definitely not. Someone has a plan. We just need to find out whom," Raven replied.

"I have a hunch," Robin said darkly. He pointed at the video feed of the two empty prison cells on the screen. He enlarged a corner of one of the cells. Burned into the floor was an angular black 'S'.

"Oh no," Em gasped.

"This just got worse," Starfire said worriedly.

Robin turned and looked at each of the Titans. "Guys, life as we know it is about to change."

The Titans spread out across the city to search for any sign of a new lair. At four in the morning, they regrouped at the park. Nobody had found a thing. Robin began giving out new instructions, but all six of their communicators started beeping. They all opened them and saw a familiar face.

"Hello Titans. I hope I didn't wake you," Slade said, sounding slightly amused.

"Slade. What are you planning?" Robin snapped.

"I'm not going to tell you that easily, Robin," Slade replied. "But I will introduce you to two new friends of mine."

He moved away from the screen. Standing behind him were a boy and girl, a little older than the Titans, wearing black and orange uniforms. One had silver wings over his ears. The other had violet eyes.

"Meet my new apprentices," Slade's voice said.

"Blackfire!" Starfire gasped.

"Silver Bullet," Raven growled.

"I see you've met," Slade stepped back into view.

"Yeah, fancy that," Em grumbled.

"Touchy touchy Emily," Slade said.

Em glared and swore at him. Robin shot her a warning look while Beast Boy and Cyborg tried not to laugh.

"Was that really necessary?" Blackfire asked mockingly.

"I think so," Raven replied, smirking. Robin silenced her with a look too.

"Well Titans, if you feel confident enough to exchange banter with my apprentices, then you must be confident to face them when the time comes. Good luck, Titans," Slade said, cutting off the transmission.

The Titans all looked nervously at Robin. He didn't seem very happy with Em and Raven's little act.

"Could you trace it?" he snapped at Cyborg suddenly.

The android jumped. "Uh, nope. He covered his tracks a little too well," Cyborg replied warily.

"Then we'll spread out, search again. I don't care if it takes all-" Robin was about to snap, the Titans could tell. So Starfire hushed him by placing her fingers over his lips. He looked at her questioningly with an impatient sigh.

"May we please talk for a moment?" Starfire asked worriedly, not waiting for his answer and pulling him away from the others slightly.

"What's wrong?" Robin asked quickly, looking around as though expecting to see Slade.

Starfire watched him sadly. "Do you not see what you are doing?" she asked.

"I don't know what you're-" Robin began, but he stopped. He was doing it again. He was getting obsessive again. He looked at his feet and opened his mouth to say something, but he couldn't think of anything to say. He felt Starfire's fingers beneath his chin and she tilted his head up so he was looking at her.

"Robin, you do not need to ask for forgiveness. You do not need to apologize. But you need to stop acting as though we do not understand," Starfire said, soothingly but seriously. "We want to bring Slade to justice. But we need you to trust us. Please do not try to take this burden upon yourself."

"But…" Robin began, not quite knowing what his argument was.

"If you will not do this for yourself, will you do it for me?" she asked quietly.

Robin looked into her eyes. She was dead serious. He knew she was right. He nodded. "I promise," he said quietly.

Starfire smiled and kissed him lightly. Robin smiled a little in spite of himself as she took his hand.

The Titans had, of course, been listening to the entire conversation. "Oh she's good," Beast Boy said, impressed, as Starfire pulled Robin back to the group.


	52. Lovesick Babbling

This will be the last update until the 28th. I'm going to California for the holidays. It's all the same, really. Still hasn't snowed here yet. Stupid global warming. Happy Holidays everybody!

* * *

**Chapter Fifty-Two:** Lovesick Babbling

"So… do you suppose this is just another 'destroy the Titans and take over the city' scheme?" Em asked Robin as the Titans made their way back to the Tower.

"Hard to say," he replied.

"He'll probably keep us waiting for a while, wait until we let our guard down," Cyborg said darkly.

"It's definitely something he's good at," Robin sighed. Starfire squeezed his hand, helping him stay calm. He smiled at her thankfully.

Em shifted her gaze to the sunrise. She didn't know whether she wanted to beat them sooner or later. If it was sooner, they'd get it over with faster, but most likely lose. If it was later, they'd have time to plan, but be taken by surprise. She sighed heavily. Robin was right. Life as they knew it was over.

All the training programs were modified to help the Titans defeat Blackfire and Silver Bullet. The Titans didn't have much leisure time anymore. They were either training or trying to find Slade during most of their waking hours. The Titans obliged so Robin wouldn't freak out, but Starfire was doing a fantastic job of keeping him calm.

Em was realizing that her time element wasn't as unstoppable as everyone thought. It used so much of her energy; she couldn't keep time on lockdown for more than a minute at a time. Her record was freezing time for three minutes before she passed out for an hour. Likewise, she was only able to freeze time for a minute three times in one training session before sleeping for twelve hours. Needless to say, the team agreed that it would be best to use her time element as a last resort.

They had been rigorously training for nearly two months with nothing to come of it. The crime rate was down because they were doing so well with the petty criminals thanks to all their training. Apart from a short bout with an escaped Johnny Rancid, nothing much had happened in the two months of their training.

Starfire wouldn't let Robin go on search duty alone in case something came up and he rushed off by himself. During one of these search days, something did come up.

Robin and Starfire had been walking down the main street. They had decided not to make their relationship public. So, they walked close together, but they didn't hold hands, no matter how much they wanted to.

Robin watched people walking down the street with near resentment. "It's amazing how calm they can be with a madman and his two psycho apprentices on the loose somewhere," he grumbled.

Starfire's hand was on his shoulder instantly, leaning as close as she could without attracting attention. She tilted her head slightly, and pleading look in her eyes.

Robin's resentment melted away. He smiled and they continued walking. "It's amazing really," Robin said thoughtfully.

"What?" Starfire asked curiously.

"How much power you have over me," he replied with a sly smile, resisting the urge to start tickling her again.

"Really?" Starfire said with mock amazement, smiling back mischievously.

"Simply astounding," a coldly amused voice said from somewhere in front of them.

Robin first thought it was Em in her fire element and was about to tell her off for not being at the Tower training. But Starfire recognized the subtle difference between their voices.

"Blackfire…" Star growled. Robin looked up and confirmed Starfire's statement. A girl with long black hair, purple eyes, and a black and orange uniform stood before them, hands on hips.

"Good to see you, little sister. So, you two are a couple now eh? I suppose I shouldn't be surprised," Blackfire said, looking at her nails in and eerily fire-element-Em-like way.

Starfire's eyes widened slightly and Robin swore under his breath. This was exactly the reason they'd kept their relationship away from the public: so it couldn't be used against them.

"Slade will find that little piece of information very useful, I think," Blackfire continued carelessly, glancing at them long enough to take in their fearful facial expressions. "Oops, were you trying to keep it a secret?" She laughed derisively.

Robin had to grab Starfire around her waist to keep her from lunging at her sister. "Calm down Star, please," Robin whispered desperately in her ear. She stopped her wild attempt to break free from him and settled down considerably, clinging close to Robin's side. He didn't take his hand from her waist.

"Put a leash on your cat," Blackfire said darkly to Robin, glancing at Starfire.

"Okay, we can attack her now," Robin said quickly. He and Starfire jumped forward at the same time. Robin swung his bo down at her, but she sidestepped it, and instead he cracked the sidewalk. Starfire flew at her, shooting a barrage of starbolts. Blackfire jumped out of the way.

Robin and Starfire both turned and looked at her after their failed attacks. She was standing in the middle of the street.

"Hate to cut our little meeting short, kids, but I have some interesting news for Slade," Blackfire said tauntingly. A bus passed in front of her, and when it was gone, so was she.

Robin sat down on the sidewalk with his back against the wall of the building they were next to and sighed in frustration. Starfire sat down beside him and laid her head on his shoulder tiredly. He wrapped his arm around her shoulders.

"I'm sorry Starfire," he sighed.

"Sorry for what?" Starfire asked in surprise.

"If I hadn't gotten angry, you wouldn't have needed to calm me down, and she wouldn't have known we're together," Robin replied dully, looking at his feet.

"We could not keep it a secret forever," Starfire whispered comfortingly. "It is not your fault."

People on the street were beginning to stare, considering the battle that had just taken place. Starfire took Robin's hand tightly and flew back to the Tower. They found the other Titans in training and told them what had happened.

Unfortunately for the couple, Em had been training her gravity element, so the purple-haired Titan launched into a rant about how romantic it was, but how much danger they were in. She finished by saying dramatically that it was worth the risk to be in love. The other Titans stared at her. Em switched back to her normal element and ran from the room, mumbling that she felt like she was going to throw up.

"Can't blame her. I feel like I'm going to toss it right now too," Raven said truthfully.

"Yeah, I don't get it. Em always gets sick when her gravity element gets all mushy like that," Beast Boy said, genuinely confused.

"I'd assume it's because of how radically different gravity's personality is. Em's still getting used to it," Raven replied. "Either that, or she just can't stand listening to that lovesick babbling."

"I personally think it's the second one," Em said as she walked in, looking rather pale but altogether cheerful.


	53. Twice The Fun

Here I am, back from Cali. I missed the Minnesota cold, personally. Still no snow though. PFFFT. Anyway, here are the next seven chapters I missed. Have fun!

* * *

**Chapter Fifty-Three:** Twice the Fun

"Things have taken a turn for the worse," Robin said to the team the next day. "So, I've called in some… reinforcements."

The doorbell rang. "I'll get it!" Em shouted suddenly at the top of her lungs, scaring the other five Titans out of their wits. Before they could react, her hair and eyes were bright yellow and she was off for the door at top speed.

Beast Boy took up the challenge and transformed into a cheetah. Starfire, Cyborg and Robin dashed after them. Raven sighed and walked out of the room.

Em won and stuck her tongue out at Beast Boy, who came up shortly after her, as she threw the doors open. All the Titans but Robin and Raven gasped.

Standing outside the door were six familiar faces: Speedy, Aqualad, Hot Spot, Wildebeest, Bumble Bee, and in front, Terra.

"Hey guys," Terra said.

"We heard you could use some help," Speedy said.

"Come on in," Robin said, smiling.

"Indeed friends! I have yet to meet some of you," Starfire, who was holding Robin's hand, said excitedly as she looked from Speedy to Hot Spot to Wildebeest.

Em was staring at Aqualad with revulsion written all over her face. "I'd love to meet all you guys, as long as I don't need to be anywhere near him," she said dully, pointing at Aqualad and carefully keeping her distance.

They all gathered in the main room and sat down on the couch. Robin stood before them all.

"Okay, first of all, welcome to the Tower!" he said to the honorary Titans. "And since we have a new Titan with us, I'll introduce everyone. This is Em, the newest addition to the Teen Titans." He pointed at Em, who was in her normal element having a thumb war with Cyborg.

"Um… yeah. Em, this is the part you need to listen to," Robin said loudly. Em looked up quickly.

"Right. Sorry," she said with a sheepish smile.

"You've already met Aqualad I guess… so this is Bumble Bee," Robin gestured toward the yellow and black clad girl. "Star, Raven, you haven't met these three either. Speedy, Wildebeest, and Hot Spot."

"I am elated to meet you!" Starfire said, smiling.

"Likewise," Speedy said uncertainly, thrown off by Starfire's excessive cheerfulness.

"And we all know Terra, so that's it! Who wants dinner?!" Cyborg finished for Robin, jumping from the couch and running to the kitchen. All the Titans but Robin ran after him.

"Hey wait! We have some planning to-" he shouted after them, but he stopped when Starfire flew to his side and grabbed his hand, pulling him toward the kitchen.

"Come, Robin! The other Titans are tired from their journeys. We all need time to become acquainted," she said.

Robin gave in almost immediately. "It's amazing really," Em said quietly, watching the two of them.

"What?" Raven asked, drawing her attention away from Beast Boy and Cyborg's argument over tofu.

"How much power she has over him," Em replied, grinning as she watched them sit down at the table.

Em couldn't sleep again that night. So, she went to the same place she always went: the couch. The six honorary Titans were bunking in Terra's old room, so Em had the main room to herself. She sat and gazed out the windows at the dark skyline. It seemed so peaceful.

"So… you don't sleep well, huh?" a voice said from behind her.

Em jumped and whipped around. Speedy was standing right behind her. She hadn't even heard him come in.

"Gee, thanks for announcing your arrival," Em said sarcastically as she tried to catch her breath.

He laughed. "You're welcome." He jumped over the back of the couch and sat down on her right.

"So, why are you a Titan?" Speedy asked after an awkward silence.

"I saved their butts when they wandered too far into my territory," Em replied lightly, purposely keeping him in the dark. She wasn't quick to trust.

"Your territory?" Speedy questioned.

"Are you sure you want to ask that question? Because it will just lead you to another dead end," Em said without moving her attention from the windows.

"Try me."

Em glanced at him. He was smiling at her with an eyebrow raised.

_Great, another shameless flirt,_ fire said dully from within Em's mind.

"I lived in the slums of Jump City for most of my life. The Titans were never called, so I handled the place myself. But one day they wandered into my area and were getting beaten, so I lent a hand and they made me a Titan," Em said patiently, looking back out the windows.

"Intriguing," Speedy said as though he had read the back of a book. "What's your power though? What makes you special?"

"First of all, my power doesn't make me special. It's how I use it that sets me apart," Em said coolly. Speedy was finally at a loss for words. "As for my power itself, I control the elements."

Speedy recovered quickly. "The elements, eh? Like what, earth wind and fire?"

Em glanced levelly at him. "Among others," she said shortly.

Speedy looked at her thoughtfully. "I'm not getting anywhere, am I?" he asked at length.

"Nope," Em replied tonelessly.

"You don't let people in very easily," he commented.

"I have my reasons," she said quietly after a long silence.

"Who hurt you?" he asked gently after another long pause.

"Excuse me?" Em said sharply, now giving him her full attention.

"Who made you close yourself off like this?" he continued.

"I'm going back to bed. It was nice talking to you," Em said coldly, leaving the room quickly.


	54. Twice The Trouble

**Chapter Fifty-Four:** Twice the Trouble

Em was silent the next morning. She ate breakfast without saying a word, even though the other eleven Titans were all talking; even Raven. Hot Spot seemed quite taken with her, and she was enjoying it. Beast Boy kept sending furtive glances in their direction, glaring at Hot Spot whenever Raven laughed.

Em watched it all from the background. The main team was shocked when she replaced her usual massive breakfast with a mug of green tea.

Aqualad sat down next to her and opened his mouth to speak. She stood up wordlessly and walked out of the room. He shrugged and went to talk to Beast Boy. Everyone noticed Em's sudden absence, but nobody said anything about it, figuring she just needed some time alone.

Em had in fact gone for some time alone. More specifically time to meditate. It wasn't long before she was sitting cross-legged over the center of her secret lake, staring moodily at some very recent memories playing across the surface.

Em heard the sound of a burst of flames and didn't even need to look up to know who was sitting across from her. "Well?" she sighed.

"Well what?" her fire element replied.

Em glanced up at her, then looked pointedly back at the water below them. A vision of Speedy rose to the surface.

"_Who hurt you?"_

"_Excuse me?"_

"_Who made you close yourself off like this?"_

"Any ideas?" Em asked dully.

Fire looked at her as though she was crazy. "Where should I start?" she asked sarcastically. "I can make a list right now! Let's see… Jase, Terra, Jase, Jase… oh, and did I mention Jase?"

Em sighed again, looking at the water as it faded back to normal. She refused to look up at her red-haired Conscience. Fire looked at her with concern.

"That Speedy guy really got to you, didn't he?" she asked quietly.

Em nodded, still not looking up. "I don't know the guy at all, but he seems to know me all too well," she mumbled.

"Okay team, you know your training programs, let's get working!" Robin said as he finished his long and detailed speech on their training procedures. The main team was bored to death, but the honorary Titans hung on his every word. Em found this rather surprising.

Em had been very quiet the past few days since her meditation session. The Titans were taking notice. Speedy was talking to her at every possible chance, acting as though their little chat hadn't happened. Em was very wary around him, being careful to avoid revealing anything about herself.

The gym was constantly crowded with the twelve Titans at their separate stations. Much to Em's displeasure, she and Starfire were stationed at the target practice area with none other than Speedy. Em was careful to keep Starfire between them.

Another week passed. The Titans were tired of training. Robin told them that was exactly what Slade wanted; he wanted them to let their guard down.

"We're not letting our guards down, we're just not training twenty-four-seven!" had been Em's shouted response. He had happened to make his little speech while she was training in her fire element, and was chased from the room before the blazing Titan had been restrained by Starfire, Raven, Terra, and Cyborg.

Robin finally gave in and only had them training three hours a day. It had taken quite a lot of coaxing from Starfire, and quite a lot of threatening from Em.

Em got out of the Tower as soon as she could. She needed to fly. So she soared over the peaceful city, soaking up the sun. Nothing was wrong today. Everything was as it should be. Until a shadow fell over her. She turned her head slightly to see what was flying over her (a bird maybe?) and didn't even catch a glimpse before she was kicked ruthlessly in the back and sent hurtling to the ground.

When Em opened her eyes barely ten seconds after impact, she found herself in her own personal crater in the middle of the street. She sat up slowly, groaning.

"Ouch, that looked like it hurt," a familiar voice said from above her.

Em looked up and saw, of course, Blackfire, smirking down at her. Em frowned and pulled out her communicator, but she gasped when she saw it. The cover had snapped off, the screen had cracked, and parts of it showered from a gaping hole in the back. Em had survived the fall, but her communicator hadn't.

"Uh oh! Looks like you can't call your friends! I guess it's just you and me… oh, and him," Blackfire tilted her head to the left slightly. Silver Bullet appeared next to her.

"That was a little too easy. Looks like you're slipping, Emmy," he said smoothly with a smirk nearly identical to Blackfire's.

"This can't be good…" Em breathed, feeling something she hadn't felt since the first time she had laid eyes upon Slade: fear.


	55. Belongings

**Chapter Fifty-Five:** Belongings

"So is this the big plan? Trying to get me again?" Em asked, desperately wasting as much time as possible. She knew for a fact that she couldn't take down Blackfire and Silver Bullet alone.

"Do you seriously think I'd tell you that?" Blackfire replied with a smirk.

"Come on, can we just crush her and get it over with?" Silver Bullet burst out impatiently.

"Come now Bullet, you need time to gloat. These things take effort," Blackfire chided.

"Effort? You're going to waste energy on me? Oh I am truly sorry," Em raged sarcastically. Her fire element was putting on the pressure.

_I have to stay calm_… Em told herself firmly.

_You have to attack first!_ fire replied angrily.

Though Em fought valiantly, her fire element finally seized control of her mind. Blackfire and Silver Bullet watched her warily as her hair and eyes turned red.

Blackfire settled into her battle state of mind. "Okay, remember, just try to knock her out," she called to Silver Bullet. He began to nod, but didn't finish due to the fact that Em was hurling a barrage of fire balls at both of them.

"There's no way I'm going to get taken by Slade ever again!" she shouted as she took off, still blasting flames at the apprentices.

_Stay calm! Don't lose control!_ Em urged forcefully from her mind.

Blackfire lifted off the ground and Silver Bullet disappeared. Em immediately began dodging Blackfire's starbolts while countering with her own fire blasts, but she flew too close to the ground.

Before she knew it, Silver Bullet had a tight hold on one of her ankles. She tried to shake him off, but Blackfire grabbed both of her wrists and thrust a knee up into her stomach. Darkness began closing in on her. She coughed loudly, trying to regain her breath.

_It happened so fast…_ fire thought incredulously as she slipped from consciousness.

_I told you…_ Em replied as she too passed out.

Em woke up suddenly. Something was wrong. Very wrong. She was in a white room, sitting on the floor. Or was it the floor? Everything was so blank; it was like the opposite of being blind. She couldn't distinguish walls from ceiling. For all she knew, this space went on forever. But, where was this space?

Em looked around in bewilderment, sitting up slowly. She looked down at herself and gasped. Something strange was happening. She looked like a painting out in a rainstorm. The color of her skin seemed to be slowly washing away. Her black belt, gloves and boots were bleeding away their blackness, leaving only white. Dark streams of brown washed over her shoulders and melted away. Her hair had been stripped of its color. She stared at her hands as the color of her skin dripped away.

She was nothing. She was blank. She was as white and indistinguishable as the rest of this space. She was space. She was disappearing. She screamed.

Em woke up, for real this time.

"It was just a nightmare…" she told herself firmly. She was sweating and shaking, gasping for breath. She looked around. This was definitely not the Titans' Tower. She was in a dark cell with stone walls and floor. A cot stood in the corner, and a steel door was in one wall. She was lying on the floor in the center of the confined space.

Her first thought was to panic. But she took a while to breathe deeply and regain her composure. She stood up eventually and walked around her cell a couple times.

"Okay… let's see… I was training with Starfire and Speedy… I tried to burn Robin to a crisp… I went flying… I got struck down by… Blackfire! They must have taken me back to Slade!" Em muttered to herself, coming to the horrible realization that she was Slade's prisoner once again.

"Excellent deduction, Emily," Slade's voice came over some kind of speaker hidden somewhere.

Em sat down crossly on her cot. She folded her arms across her chest and sat cross-legged with her back to the wall, ignoring Slade's taunting tone completely. She glowered at the wall across from her.

"What do you want now?" she shouted sourly.

"I want you to destroy the Teen Titans," he replied smoothly.

Em rolled her eyes. "Try again, Slick," she growled.

The door burst open. Blackfire leaned against the door frame. Em jumped to her feet.

"I know your deepest fear," Slade whispered over his intercom.

Em glanced away from Blackfire for a moment. "Yeah right," she muttered nervously.

"I've seen your nightmares, Emily. I know what you fear," he continued. Blackfire stepped into the room and began walking toward Em.

"Back off, Blackfire," Em said warningly, switching to her fire element and summoning fire balls to her hands. Blackfire didn't stop. She merely smirked and continued forward. "I'm warning you," Em's eyes narrowed.

"You are afraid of being nothing," Slade's spiteful whisper cut into Em's thoughts. She froze, eyes wide. She gulped. "How-?"

Blackfire stood right in front of her, but Em didn't flinch. She felt as though she was paralyzed. How could he know?

"I have seen your nightmares, I told you," Slade hissed, glad to finally have her full attention. "Now do what I say, or you worst nightmare will become reality."

"That's impossible," Em said confidently.

"I thought you'd be too smart for that. Which is why I created this," Slade sounded amused. Blackfire moved forward before Em could react and snapped a metal collar around her neck. Em jumped back and tried to break it off, but an electric shock surged through her. She fell to her knees in surprise.

Blackfire receded from the room, still smirking. "You belong to me now," Slade said. A red light blinked to life on the side of the collar. Another shock ran through Em, but this time, when she opened her eyes, they were glowing blood red.

"I belong to you now," she said, her voice hollow. Slade sat down in front of his bank of monitors, satisfied. Mind control, so simple a thing.

Emily Sanders was no longer under her own control.


	56. Meltdown

**Chapter Fifty-Six:** Meltdown

"Where is she? She's been gone for hours!" Beast Boy blurted.

The eleven Titans were sitting in the main room. Robin and Raven were at the control panel, trying to pick up a trace from her communicator.

"I've got something!" Robin said suddenly. Everyone looked up at the screen. A very faint signal was coming from the middle of a little-used street on the right side of Jump City.

"Main team, let's go. Honorary Titans, stay here. Train, relax, whatever. We'll be back soon," Robin said. "Titans, go!"

It had rained since Em's capture four hours earlier. Not just rain either. It was a constant heavy downpour. The Titans were immediately soaked as they stepped out of the Tower.

Starfire was the first to reach the location of the signal. She gasped when she touched down at the rim of the small crater in the middle of the street. Down at the bottom were the remains of Em's communicator in a few inches of water.

She splashed down into the puddle and picked up the largest piece of the communicator she could find. Water dripped from it and a few more pieces fell when she grabbed it. The other Titans arrived seconds later. They stopped at the rim of the crater.

Starfire was crouching at the bottom with her back to them. "I don't like how this looks…" Beast Boy said warily.

Starfire flew up next to them and held out her hand, revealing the smashed communicator. Raven and Cyborg gasped. Beast Boy whispered, "No…"

Robin was silent, staring at the communicator as though in a daze.

"W… what has happened?" Starfire whispered, sounding confused, frightened, and worried at the same time.

Meanwhile, back at the Tower, the six honorary Titans were watching TV. The doorbell rang.

"I got it," Terra said, jumping over the couch and jogging to the door. She pulled it open to reveal a boy wearing what was unmistakably the garb of a superhero. He wore a jumpsuit nearly identical to Beast Boy's, but instead of purple, it was off-white. He had an extensive utility belt around his waist, gray gloves like Robin's but with sharp gold talons on the backs of the hands, and gray boots, also like Robin's.

Around his shoulders was a black cloak like Raven's that could wrap around him completely, though he wore it over his shoulders so it only covered his back. There was a hood, but it was over his shoulders as well. He had blond hair and a black Zorro-ish mask with holes that revealed bright green eyes.

"I'm looking for E-" the boy stopped and his eyes widened at the sight of the blond girl in front of him. She was staring at him in the same way.

"Terra?" he asked in complete shock.

"Jase?" she whispered, dumbfounded.

They both stared at each other for another minute before they both smiled and Terra shouted, "Jase! I never thought I'd see you here!" and jumping on him in a ferocious hug. He laughed and hugged her back.

"I never thought I'd see you either! I can't believe Em never told me!" he replied.

"You mean she knew you were around?" Terra said as she let go of him.

"Trust me, she knew all too well," Jase replied uncomfortably.

Terra decided not to ask. "So what's with the outfit?" she asked with a smile.

Jase looked down at himself. "Oh, you like it? I have a new mentor in Gotham City. Bruce Wayne, ever heard of him?"

"You mean you work with Batman?" Terra blurted excitedly.

"I see you have heard of him. Well, I'm his sidekick now. They call me Falcon," he said dramatically, pulling up his hood and showing off his talons. His hood looked just like Batman's with an absence of the twin points on top. Instead, there were brown wings over his ears.

"Impressive," Terra laughed. "Now… why are you here?"

"I came to see Em. We… have a few things to work out…" he blushed as he trailed off.

Terra raised an eyebrow. "Well… she actually disappeared a few hours ago. The main team went looking for her. But come on in, get out of the rain! The honorary Titans are all here."

Jase pulled his hood down and followed Terra into the Tower. She introduced him to the five Titans and he sat down to watch TV with them.

The main team was trying to figure out what to do next. They were investigating the crater and the area around in an effort to find any kind of clue. So far, they had drawn a blank.

"Dude, there's nothing here!" Beast Boy shouted in frustration.

"And if there was, the rain's gotten rid of it," Cyborg grumbled.

"There must be something!" Starfire replied determinedly.

"There is something," a familiar voice said.

The Titans turned. Standing in the center of the street near the crater was Em. Her eyes looked dull and her face was expressionless. They didn't notice that her usually black choker was now silver with a red light glowing on the back.

"Em!" Starfire exclaimed happily, rushing over to her friend.

Before the shocked eyes of the Titans, Em switched to her fire element and raised a flaming hand, stopping Starfire in her tracks. The downpour didn't seem to affect Em's firepower at all; her hand burned bright through the sheets of rain.

"It would be in your best interest if you did not come any closer," Em said dully.

"Em, what're you doing?" Robin shouted warningly, coming up to Starfire's side and pulling her away from Em slightly.

"I am doing exactly what I am told," she replied.

"What are you talking about?" Raven asked sharply, landing next to Starfire.

Robin's communicator beeped. He glanced dangerously at Em before flipping it open. The other Titans gathered behind him and saw Slade on the screen.

"I see you've met my third apprentice," he said smoothly.

They all looked up at Em in shock. She remained expressionless, watching them apathetically.

"Em would never work for you!" Starfire shouted angrily at the tiny screen. "What have you done to her?!"

"Why don't you ask them?" Slade replied. The Titans looked up to see Blackfire and Silver Bullet standing on either side of Em.

"Let's see how you fare against my apprentice trio," Slade said, sounding darkly amused as the transmission cut.

Slade's voice buzzed through the earpiece Em was wearing. "Your targets are Robin and the alien girl. Blackfire and Bullet will handle the others."

Em's lifeless gaze shifted to Robin and Starfire. "I will do as you say," she replied hollowly.


	57. Memory

**Chapter Fifty-Seven:** Memory

The computer at the Titans' Tower beeped. Speedy turned the screen on and the Titans (plus Falcon) watched as Robin's face appeared.

"We have an emergency situation. Blackfire, Silver Bullet, and… Em…" Robin choked out the last word.

The Titans stared. "Em? What are you-" Terra began, but Robin stopped her.

"No time to explain. Stand by. I repeat: stand by. Be ready to mobilize," Robin cut the transmission.

Terra turned and faced the group. "You heard him guys. We have to be prepared to go at a second's notice. Jase," Terra turned to her taloned friend. "You can come if you want."

Jase nodded. "If Em's there, I'll be there," he said quietly. Speedy shot him a strange look. Jase ignored it.

Blackfire and Silver Bullet had engaged Beast Boy, Cyborg, and Raven in battle immediately. Em, on the other hand, stood her ground and regarded Robin and Starfire in what would be a thoughtful way, if she had shown any emotion at all.

"I am surprised. Blackfire did not attack me," Starfire said worriedly.

"That's the least of our problems," Robin replied hastily. Em continued staring them down.

"Em, what are you doing?" Robin shouted.

"I have already answered that question," Em replied, walking slowly toward them.

"I know, you're doing what you're told. But what are you doing?" Robin was growing desperate, wasting as much time as possible.

Em stopped. "I'm quite sure you are just wasting my time," she said dully, and with that she rushed forward.

Robin was prepared for her to attack him, but to his surprise, Em flew right past him and tackled Starfire.

"Star!" he shouted, whipping out his bo and racing to her aid.

Em was gripping Starfire's wrists tightly as she struggled to break free. "Em, why are you doing this?! We are your friends!" Starfire cried desperately. "We do not wish to fight you!"

"That will make my job much easier, won't it?" Em replied, not even a hint of emotion crossing her face or voice through the struggle.

Robin was fighting himself over what to do. His two main instincts were butting heads. Save the girl he loved and hurt his friend, or save his friend and hurt the girl he loved? He decided on the former and brought his bo swishing through the air toward Em's side.

Em let go of one of Starfire's wrists and caught his bo. He tried to wrench it from her grasp, but her hand glowed red and the metal beneath her fingers melted, causing his bo to bend in half like rubber. Before he could react, Em swung Starfire by her wrist and threw her into him. They crashed to the ground in a confused tangle.

Em stood over them and summoned flames to her hands. Robin pulled Starfire against his chest and threw his cape around them just as she blasted them. When the stream of fire ended, he tossed his cape back around his shoulders and they both stood up, but Em was ready for them. The moment Robin had looked up, Em's elbow collided painfully with his face and he was sent flying several yards. Starfire rushed to his side.

"Robin! Are you-" her sentence was never finished. Em was upon them in seconds. She kicked Starfire squarely in the chest. Starfire's breath was knocked from her and she found herself on her back on the ground. Em's foot was suddenly over her throat. Starfire gasped and grabbed Em's boot, trying to escape, but Em merely applied more pressure. All Starfire could do was hold Em's foot as far from crushing her throat as she could and watch while her friend lifted Robin off the ground by the front of his shirt.

Em grabbed Robin's utility belt while he was disoriented and held him a few inches above the ground, still holding Starfire to the pavement. She tossed his belt to the ground.

"Excellent. I suggest you torture the girl. We want to cause Robin as much pain as possible," Slade's voice said in her ear.

Em was about to respond, but she hesitated. She saw the green-eyed girl on the ground, tears running down her cheeks, watching in terror. She saw the black-haired boy before her, suspended by his shirt, struggling against her grip. And she hesitated.

Robin noticed immediately. "I know you're in there Em. You have to fight. I know you're not working for Slade willfully. I know," he said as strongly as he could.

"Em… why would you try… to kill us… when you are the one… who brought us together?" Starfire choked.

When Em heard that, something remarkable happened. Something stirred in the depths of her blank mind.

"_Oh, so you aren't dating?"_

_Em was sitting next to Starfire on the roof of the Tower, watching the sun rise._

"_Dating? No, Robin and I are just friends. Just friends…"_

"_Oi with the poodles already!"_

_Em was in Raven's room. They were both drinking tea after a few hours of solid meditation._

"_I definitely shouldn't mess with them. They're such a cute couple; I wouldn't want to screw things up for them. I'll wait it out for now."_

"_I DO NOT NEED TO BE _SAVED_, ROBIN! I NEED _YOU_!"_

_Em and Raven were standing stock-still outside of Robin's room, listening to Starfire's emotions going over the edge._

"_Don't tell me you don't want to ruin your friendship Robin! Just don't!"_

_Em had Robin crushed against a heating duct on the roof, staring angrily at him._

"_Your friendship is ruined already because of how clueless you are! She's right; you care too much about Slade."_

"_I could never be angry with you."_

_Em watched as Robin and Starfire kissed inside the dam after an emotional evening._

"_We'll leave them alone for a while."_

"_Promise me this: never break up. You two are meant to be."_

_Em stood before her friends, smiling to hide how badly she wanted to cry._

"_Promise."_

Em snapped out of her reverie, eyes wide. She let go of Robin's shirt abruptly and took her foot off of Starfire's throat. She was suddenly very aware of the rain pounding on her shoulders. "What… why?" she whispered to herself.

Slade noticed the sudden leap in her brain waves and knew it could only mean one thing: she was throwing off his mind control. He turned up the output slightly.

Em ran her fingers up into her hair. Her eyes were shut tightly. Robin was holding Starfire closely, crouched on the ground. They watched her warily. Finally, she looked back up, her blank expression back, though she seemed to be fighting it.

Robin pulled out his communicator. "Titans, mobilize!"


	58. A New Apprentice

**Chapter Fifty-Eight:** A New Apprentice

"That is enough for the time being. Return to base," Slade's voice said easily. Em shot one final glance at Robin and Starfire. The both saw quite clearly what the glance meant: _Help_.

Em took off. Blackfire lifted off the ground shortly after, and Silver Bullet went tearing down the street. In just a few seconds, the three apprentices were gone. Cyborg, Raven and Beast Boy approached Robin and Starfire.

"I managed to scan Em, and you'll be glad to hear she's under mind control. I couldn't find the source though; Slade covered his tracks pretty dang well. But you're not gonna believe this," Cyborg said quickly. "Blackfire and Silver Bullet are under mind control too. The signal being sent to them isn't nearly as strong as Em's, but it's there."

The honorary Titans arrived on the scene a minute later. Robin was just pulling Starfire to her feet. Starfire had been silent since she had begged Em for a reason. She refused to look at any of her friends, instead staring at the ground with her eyes full of tears. Raven and Beast Boy were oddly quiet as well.

Robin sighed. "There's nothing else we can do here. Come on Titans, let's go home and figure out what to do next."

The eleven Titans returned to the Tower. As soon as the main team was cleaned up, the Titans all gathered in the main room for a short relaxing time.

"Hey, who's the guy with the claws?" Robin asked Terra.

Terra led Jase over to the Titans. "Titans, meet Batman's sidekick: Falcon," she said.

Robin glanced sharply at him. "So you're Jase," he said levelly.

Jase nodded uncertainly, extending a hand. Robin shook it, regarding Falcon carefully the whole time.

"Em's told us a lot about you," Robin said coolly.

Jase gulped. "Has she? Well, um, you probably don't have a very good first impression of me, do you?" he said with a nervous laugh.

Starfire and Raven, both with their hands on their hips, came up beside Robin, looking at Jase coldly.

"Not at all," Raven said in her usual monotone, but with a new level of resentment.

"You have made our friend suffer quite a lot," Starfire said, speaking for the first time in nearly an hour.

Beast Boy and Cyborg, arms crossed, came up behind the girls and Robin, bearing down on Jase like he was under interrogation.

"You know, if you hurt our friend, you hurt us," Beast Boy said.

"And we don't take kindly to getting hurt," Cyborg cracked his knuckles.

Jase gulped again. Robin held up his hands. "Come on Titans, that's not the way we handle people like Jase," Robin said calmly. Starfire, Raven, Cyborg, and Beast Boy suddenly bore identical smirks. Robin smiled evilly.

Ten minutes later, Jase was in the kitchen wearing rubber gloves, washing dishes at the sink.

Em, Blackfire, and Silver Bullet returned to Slade's dark lair. Em was put back in her cell. Even under total mind control she wasn't trusted.

For a good reason, of course.

Em sat on the floor on the center of her cell, eyes closed. Inside her mind, her elements were locked behind their doors, and she herself was meditating over the lake, eyes closed. No matter how hard her body tried, she couldn't wake her mind. That was the effect of Slade's mind control collar.

During the brief time in which Em had been more herself, it had been because her memories had begun playing across the lake. That had been enough to wake her mind slightly, but Slade had turned up the frequency before she could regain control. Now, all she could do was keep trying to wake up.

She sat on the cold stone floor for three hours, and she didn't feel a thing. Finally, she began to breach the barrier around her mind. She could feel herself returning… and then…

She screamed as a powerful electric shock shot through her from the collar. She hadn't remembered falling, but when she opened her eyes she was flat on her back. She groaned.

"You wouldn't feel pain like that if you would simply let me control your mind," Slade's voice hissed in her ear. She groaned again and fell silent, completely exhausted.

The next morning, Slade woke up long before the Titans. The alarm went off at one in the morning. The eleven Titans were at the computer in minutes.

"Someone's blowing up the main street. Wonder who that could be…" Cyborg grumbled.

"Titans, let's go! Main team first, honorary team waits until I give the signal," Robin said. The Titans were out the door before another word was said.

"Come on, Emily, pick it up, would you?" Blackfire moaned.

Em wasn't destroying with as much energy as she was supposed to. Blackfire and Silver Bullet were more than happy to smash everything in sight. But Em didn't have enough emotion to enjoy anything, nor was she being controlled as completely as the day prior.

"Pick it up… sure," she said vaguely, ripping a parking meter out of the ground easily and throwing it through the windshield of a car parked nearby.

"I didn't mean it literally, but it works," Blackfire sighed, rolling her eyes.

"Here comes the cavalry," Silver Bullet said, suddenly appearing and pointing down the street.

Em stopped and looked around. There they were, her best friends, her family. But with her mind as it was, she didn't recognize them as such. They were her opponents according to Slade, but according to herself, she didn't know.

Robin was the first to speak. "Em, you have to listen. You have to fight him. Focus," he said, speaking very clearly and sounding urgent.

"She doesn't need to listen, she doesn't need to fight, and she doesn't need to focus," Silver Bullet laughed.

"In fact, the only thing she needs to do is help us destroy you," Blackfire added with an evil smile. Em remained silent, staring helplessly at the Titans.

Starfire nearly started crying when she saw Em. Slade had given her a new look consisting of lots of black, orange, and metal. The sight made all the Titans stop for a second. It just didn't seem right.

"Em, you're my best friend. Isn't there any good left in you?" Raven said.

Another surge of memory made Em's head pound.

"_I understand."_

_The Titans were returning from visiting Terra's statue for the first time._

"_My powers are unleashed by emotion. The only way I can control them is by controlling my emotions. I've gotten pretty good at it. I can help you."_

"_Raven, can I ask you something?"_

"_Sure."_

_One of Em's numerous meditation sessions with Raven stood out among the rest._

"_Have Robin and Starfire always been completely crazy for each other?"_

"_Pretty much."_

_Em saw many more times in which she and Raven were talking together, laughing and joking and gossiping during breaks in meditation._

"_Green tea."_

_Raven had just handed Em, who was laying on an infirmary bed, a steaming mug._

"_Thanks."_

"_Remind me not to punch anyone for a while…"_

_Em walked slowly down the stairs from the roof, tightening the bandages on her arms as she went._

"_You punched Robin?"_

"_Well, yeah. And I slammed him into a heating duct."_

"_You should have told us it would affect you like this."_

"_Like what?"_

_Em was in the infirmary again, lying openly and unconvincingly._

"_You've been asleep for nearly a month."_

"_Wow, I thought I'd be out much longer than that," Em stopped. "Um… oops?"_

"_You nearly died four times."_

"_That was to be expected."_

"_You had us worried out of our minds! I accidentally broke that window eleven times in two weeks! That's a record! Why'd you do it?"_

Em looked up, feeling incredible pressure upon her mind. Beast Boy spoke up.

"Em, this isn't like you. Nobody controls you. You have to fight him!" he shouted.

"_Will you guys ever be able to trust me after what happened with Terra?"_

_Em was sitting on the couch on her first night at the Tower, talking quietly with Beast Boy._

"_You earned some of our trust by saving our lives. Now you just have to be yourself. Besides, if Raven trusts you, we all can!"_

"_So you and Terra were really good friends back then, huh?"_

_Em was in the exact same place, but it had been quite a long time._

"_Yep."_

"_Small world, eh? I'm gonna head back to bed. Good night, Emily."_

"Concentrate, Emily," Slade hissed in her ear.

Em was trying. She really was. So Slade turned up the power on the collar. Her eyes glowed blood red and she growled. Everyone was looking at her.

"Now attack!" Slade shouted so loud that even the Titans heard it. She winced, but recovered and flew forward, suddenly in her electricity element.

Robin flipped his communicator open. "Now!" he shouted. But he had delayed too long and Em thunder-punched him viciously. Starfire caught him before he hit the ground.

Six more Titans seemed to appear out of nowhere.

"Em, stop it!" Terra shouted.

More memories.

"This isn't right!" Aqualad added.

Still more memories.

"Fight him, Em!" Speedy yelled.

Em felt like she was going to explode.

"Em!"

Em looked up when she heard the voice. That voice that had caused her so much pain. Jase. Her sudden upraise of anger helped the mind control get a firmer hold on her. She growled, her eyes still glowing red-orange. She jumped forward, her hair bright red and flames blazing over her arms, and tackled Jase.

The Falcon wouldn't be flying away from this one.


	59. Dare You To Move

**Chapter Fifty-Nine:** Dare You to Move

"Are you gonna kill me, Em?" Jase choked harshly.

Em couldn't hear him. All she could hear was Slade's voice in her head. She didn't know the rain had begun again. She didn't notice that Blackfire and Silver Bullet had pounced on the rest of the Titans. She was deaf and blind to everything but the whim of her master.

But something changed. Deep within her mind, Em stirred slightly in her sitting position over the lake. She was slowly waking up. Even this slight weakening of Slade's defense sent memories rushing to the surface. But these were memories of her days in the mountains with her parents; memories she had never relived before. One stood out among the others.

_Em, Jase, and Terra had hiked to the peak of the nearest mountain (or rather Em had flown, carrying Jase, and Terra had surfed up on a boulder). They were watching the sun rise._

"_We have a perfect life. I'm never leaving this place," Jase sighed happily._

_Terra nodded eagerly, but Em looked thoughtfully at the slowly rising sun._

"_What, don't you want to stay here?" Terra asked._

"_I love it here," Em began pensively. "But I can't help but think…"_

"_What?" they both urged._

_Em thought for another moment, then looked back out at the mountains and the sunrise. "Maybe… there's more to this than we think. I mean, we live our quiet lives here on this mountain, and what?" _

_Em stood up and looked determinedly at her friends. "Maybe there's something we've missed. Maybe some things aren't that simple. We're different, all three of us. We aren't like other people. We can do great things away from here. We were meant to live for so much more."_

_Terra and Jase were staring at her like she was crazy. Em smiled and walked to the edge of the ledge they had come to rest on. "This isn't as good as it gets. This is just a small piece of something much greater. Life can be so randomly beautiful, but we'll never see it if we don't go out there and look for it."_

"_In life, you don't often get a second chance. But I really think there's more to life. Maybe… just maybe… there's more to this than any of us can imagine…"_

Though the memory was powerful, it wasn't going to be that easy for Em to wake up. It had been just enough for Jase to escape her grip, however. Em stood up quickly. Falcon watched her warily.

"I don't want to fight you," he said seriously.

"Then don't," Em said after hearing Slade say it in her ear. She flew forward and threw a kick at him. He sidestepped it easily.

"You don't want to fight your friends," Falcon said harshly, dodging a few punches.

"That's not for you to decide," Em replied, again hearing it from Slade.

Jase was getting frustrated. "Em, listen! Why won't you just listen?!" he shouted, blocking another punch.

Em aimed another kick at him, which he blocked. "I'm listening," she said apathetically and launched another barrage of punches at him.

"You have to stop this! Stop listening to Slade, start listening to the people that care about you!" Jase growled, breathing heavily as he began to tire.

"Caring is for the weak," even as the words came out of her mouth, Em realized how very wrong such sentiments were. But the thought was pushed from her mind by Slade urging her to finish him.

With one powerful kick, Jase was swept off his feet and thrown to the ground. Em looked over. Blackfire and Silver Bullet had managed to down all of the Titans but Robin and Starfire, who were fighting valiantly side-by-side.

"Wait…" Em muttered, eyes narrowing. One was missing. "Where's-?"

A small circle of the ground in front of Em's feet turned black. The dark figure of a cloaked girl rose from the pavement. Lavender eyes glowed from beneath a hood that shrouded her features in darkness.

"So I guess it's down to you and me," Raven said, her voice showing no hint of emotion.

"So it would seem," Em replied warily. Not even Slade fully understood the power of the darkest Titan.

"I told you before that you're my best friend, but it wasn't enough. What will it take to bring you back?" Raven asked, still maintaining her careless monotone.

Silence reigned momentarily. All that could be heard was the pounding rain.

Slade had the collar at maximum power. There was nothing he could do now but watch.

Em stared at Raven. Raven looked stonily back, convincingly blocking out the torrent of emotions she was currently feeling.

"Em, remember everything I've taught you. Only you control your mind. _Your_ mind. Not Slade's. Yours," Raven's voice finally betrayed her feelings. There were so many rushing through her that they couldn't be easily distinguished, but they were there.

The world seemed to slow down through Em's eyes. The rain was suspended in the air. All she could hear was her own breathing. But she was quite sure she wasn't in her time element. It was all in her mind.

And deep within that space, over a silent lake, Emily Sanders opened her eyes.


	60. Whether Mice Or Men Have Second Tries

**Chapter Sixty:** Whether Mice or Men Have Second Tries

Em's knees hit the pavement. She reached up and ripped off the collar with uncanny ease. She looked up, tears flowing freely down her cheeks, and saw all of her fallen friends. Robin and Starfire had finally managed to subdue Blackfire and Silver Bullet. Jase was just standing up. Raven was smiling at her.

Em bit her lip, trying desperately to stop herself from crying. Jase ran over to her and knelt in front of her.

"Em! Are you okay?" he asked, concerned. Em looked at him and burst out crying. She threw her arms around his neck and sobbed into his shoulder. Jase, needless to say, was surprised. Em hadn't come this close to him willingly since they were seven years old.

"Jase… please don't be so nice to me… not after the way I've treated you…" Em sobbed.

"I'll be as nice to you as I want," Jase said comfortingly, pulling her back slightly by her shoulders and looking into her eyes.

Em gazed back. She didn't know what possessed her to do such a thing, but she found herself leaning toward him. Jase froze in bewilderment when Em's lips met his. He had wanted to kiss her for so long; he found it odd that he didn't know how to react at that moment. Em pulled herself closer to him. Jase closed his eyes and held her against his chest.

The other Titans were finally waking up. They all came up beside Raven and saw Jase and Em together on the ground. Robin and Starfire both smiled. Speedy and Aqualad both seemed a little disappointed. Beast Boy and Raven glanced at each other, then quickly looked away, blushing. Hot Spot and Terra were watching Beast Boy and Raven warily.

"Ugh, this place reeks of raging hormones," Blackfire mumbled as she sat up slowly, rubbing her head.

The Titans all turned around. Blackfire wasn't very lucid, and Silver Bullet was still out like a light, drooling all over the pavement, but the honorary Titans went to tie them up anyway. The main team walked a short distance from Em and Jase.

Robin glanced at them, and then looked at Raven. "So… she's back?" he asked hopefully.

Raven smiled. "You really think Slade would tell her to make out with Jase?" she replied.

Robin smiled back. Starfire laughed out loud and hugged Robin to let out the feeling of joy she was experiencing. Cyborg sighed in relief. Raven glanced over at Beast Boy. He was watching her with a strange expression on his face. He quickly looked away when she saw. Raven watched him for a moment. Then she smiled a little and looked back at Em and Jase.

Jase pulled Em away from him again. He was feeling guilty about taking advantage of her when she was vulnerable like this. "Em… I don't want to do this unless you really mean it," he said quietly.

Em punched his shoulder, her crying starting to cease. "Oh come on! Don't be so naïve, Jase! You don't really think I ever got over you, do you?" She sniffed and wiped away her tears.

Jase laughed lightly. "Okay, just making sure," he said defensively.

Em smiled a little and pressed her lips to his again. She pulled his hood back and ran her fingers up into his blond hair. They both smiled at the same time and remained locked together.

In Slade's dark lair, he sat fuming in his chair. "I have underestimated this girl too many times… but never again…"


	61. Insecure

**Chapter Sixty-One:** Insecure

Em had been in an extremely good mood in the few weeks since the day she had escaped mind control. The honorary Titans, Jase now being one of them, had all returned to where they belonged. Em didn't miss him horribly. He wasn't very far away, and it was enough to know that there was someone out there for her.

Robin wasn't being as obsessive as usual about Slade. Starfire was keeping him distracted well enough.

Since Em had finally come to terms with her feelings for Jase, Beast Boy and Raven had been acting strangely around each other. Their interaction was reduced to one-word sentences if they even talked at all. They couldn't look at each other without at least one of them blushing. Em left it alone. Raven was one person whose personal life she refused to mess with, no matter how much she wanted to.

Fortunately for Em, Raven came knocking on Em's door a few days later. She told Em she needed someone to talk to. Em welcomed her into her room gladly.

"I don't mean to brag," Raven began when the two of them were sitting across from each other on the floor. "But you have to admit: I'm the only one in the Tower who can successfully hold back my emotions at all times."

"That's a known fact," Em said, smiling.

Raven smiled half-heartedly. "But lately, I've been having trouble," she admitted quietly.

Em nodded sympathetically. "I sort of noticed something strange going on…"

Raven groaned. "Is it that obvious?" she asked dully.

"I notice lots of things. You needn't be worried," Em said confidently.

Raven nodded, though she didn't really seem convinced. Em had never seen her look so insecure. It concerned her.

"I think I have… feelings… for a certain person…" Raven started awkwardly.

"Beast Boy?" Em suggested.

Raven blushed and nodded. A few books on Em's bookshelf went flying across the room. Raven gulped and took a deep, calming breath. "Sorry…" she muttered.

Em smiled again. "It's okay, really. I've done much worse," she said truthfully.

"I just… I don't know what to do. This feeling has got me all… upside down," Raven looked at the ceiling as she searched for the right term. Em smiled inwardly, remembering that fateful conversation she'd had with her fire element about the same feeling.

"It's called love," Em said, feeling like an older sister. "I was having the same problem for a long time when I was first having dreams about Jase."

Raven nodded in understanding.

"So… why don't you just tell him?" Em asked quietly.

"I couldn't do that. I could _never_ do that," Raven said quickly.

"Why not?" Em returned.

"Because I can never be with him," Raven suddenly sounded both depressed and resentful. "Because he has feelings for someone else."

Em cocked her head slightly. "Who?" she asked, bewildered. It had always seemed quite obvious to Em that Beast Boy had eyes for Raven and Raven alone. But if there was someone else… things could get complicated.

"…Terra…" Raven sighed darkly.

The gears in Em's brain ground to a halt. Terra? Em had always viewed them as more like brother and sister. But… She shuddered in spite of herself. Brothers and sisters should not be romantically involved.

"Is that why you don't like her?" Em finally asked.

Raven looked up. "What makes you say I don't like her?" she asked cautiously.

Em shrugged. "I just always sensed this tension between the two of you…"

Raven nodded in consent. "I didn't trust her from the beginning. I have a sense about these things, you know. I could tell she was unstable. When she ran off, I thought it was for the better. I mean, Beast Boy could have been ki-" Raven stopped herself. She was getting off the subject.

"But then she came back, out of the blue, with complete control over her powers. It just seemed wrong. I have to meditate every day to maintain control. So do you, you know what I'm talking about. But she just suddenly has the control she's been seeking. I didn't trust her. But she tricked me along with the others. As much as I hate to admit it… I thought she was my friend…"

Raven stopped and collected her thoughts. "Then she came out into the open about Slade. She attacked us in the street, and we retreated. Slade lured us out by setting loose three villains. I went after one alone. I defeated the villain, but Terra caught up with me. She said-" Raven stopped again, but not on her own accord. She couldn't seem to continue. The memory was too painful; it brought too much emotion to the surface. But she pressed on.

"She said some things I can never forgive. Ever. The team may have forgiven her, and you may have forgiven her, but I can't. Not after what she said."

Em fidgeted slightly. "The truth is… I never really forgave her either," she said hesitantly. Raven looked up at her curiously. "There are just some things I can't forgive. I try to, but then I think of all those years I spent alone and homeless in the slums. That place is horrible… you have no idea how terrible it is to fall asleep every night wondering if you'd wake up ever again… and if you did wake up, wondering if you had been…" Em choked on her words. She looked frightened. "I mean… it's twice as scary to be a girl down there. It really is."

Raven looked at her friend, and suddenly understood her much better than she ever had. "Were you ever-?" Raven began quietly.

"No," Em answered quickly. "I was lucky. But I knew so many other girls…" Em stopped. She couldn't bring herself to continue.

"Well, you don't need to be worried about that anymore," Raven offered.

Em nodded silently. She seemed pale and was shivering slightly. Raven could only imagine how horrible Em's childhood must have been if it could effect her like this now.

"But that's beside the point. Avoiding Beast Boy isn't the answer to your problems. Just act normally around him," Em recovered quickly. "Maybe drop a few hints here and there. If he has feelings for you, which I have an incredibly strong suspicion he does, he'll tell you. And if he doesn't feel the same way, he doesn't deserve you."

Raven smiled. "Thanks. I'll give it a try," she said, standing up. Raven, of course, had no intention whatsoever of 'dropping hints here and there.' She walked to the door, but before she could leave, Em stopped her.

"Please… don't tell anyone what I just told you," she whispered fearfully.

"I won't, I promise," Raven replied, smiling warmly at her.


	62. Factor

Just for the record, Factor does not belong to me. She belongs to a girl at the RS Shrine who asked me to put her in. Gosh that was like a year ago. Just so you know.

* * *

**Chapter Sixty-Two:** Factor

Em took the next day to herself. She left the Tower and wandered the crowded streets of the Jump City main street. They had fixed it up nicely after she had destroyed it. She was enjoying herself, just wandering around.

Suddenly, someone tapped her shoulder. She turned around. There stood a girl with black hair, a white midriff-bearing shirt with a red 'F' on it, black capris, and leather gloves. Em looked at her curiously. Em noticed immediately that the girl's eyes were gold.

"Can I help you?" Em asked.

"I hope so. Are you Em?" the girl replied.

Em's eyes narrowed and she involuntarily tensed. She had to be ready for anything in instances like this. "Yes," Em replied.

Just as Em had expected, this girl wasn't what she seemed. The moment Em had said yes, the girl had thrown a punch at her. Em sidestepped it and grabbed her fist. The girl wrenched her hand away. People on the street took notice and backed away quickly.

"Hm. Guess I did help you," Em commented lightly.

"There can only be one master of the elements," the girl replied calmly.

"And you're talking about what?" Em wondered about the girl's sanity.

The girl smiled. As she stared at Em, her pupils turned red, her irises turned white, and the whites of her eyes turned black. Em realized what was happening a split second before it did. She jumped into the air. A ball of flames hit the sidewalk where Em had been standing not a moment before.

Em switched to her own fire element and hovered carefully above the pavement. "Okay, now you have my attention," Em said, her eyes glowing fiercely red. "I think we might have gotten off on the wrong foot. Hi, I'm Em." Em extended a hand with a smirk on her face.

The girl shot another fire ball at her. Em dodged it. "Rude much?" she questioned. "You have to tell me your name; otherwise I won't be able to insult you in my LiveJournal!" Em smirked again, a mischievous glint in her red eyes.

"Just call me Factor," the girl replied, lifting off the ground herself.

"Well that just figures, doesn't it," Em muttered sourly.

"What figures?" Factor replied, eyes narrowed warily.

"I don't know any swear words that rhyme with 'factor'!" Em said as though she was disappointed, stuck her tongue out at Factor, and launched forward.

Factor just barely managed to get out of the way.

Em about-faced sharply and hovered cross-legged in the air. "You get distracted too easily," the red-headed Titan pointed out with a grin.

Factor remained silent. Her pupils turned blue and she shot a jet of water at Em. Em got hit full-on by the water. She smashed onto the pavement and pushed her sopping hair out of her eyes, looking all-too-murderous.

"Playing to weaknesses, eh? Well, two can play at that game," she growled, switching to her electric element and firing a massive bolt of lightning at Factor. She didn't get out of the way in time, and the massive jolt spread across her skin in seconds, dazing her completely.

Em looked around. People were running around in complete terror. _If I don't do something,_ Em thought grimly, _these people could get killed._


	63. Method In Madness

Happy New Year everyone! I hope you all had jolly holidays, no matter what you celebrate.

* * *

**Chapter Sixty-Three:** Method in Madness

Factor opened her eyes and looked around quickly. Em was gone. She was about to look around when she felt a sharp pain in her wrists. She gasped as her arms were twisted around behind her back. She tried to pull away, but the two hands that bound her were strong. A familiar voice hissed in her ear.

"If you're looking for an opponent, I'll fight you," Em said clearly as Factor tried to pull away. "But at least let these people get out of the way. There are better places and better times for me to kick your butt. Innocent people do not need to get hurt and killed because of your baseless grudge against me. Get it?"

"Oh come on!" Factor blurted in exasperation. "Do you actually think I'm that naïve? You think I'll believe your little heroism act? You don't care about these people!"

Em was tempted to smack the girl upside the head, but that would mean relinquishing her grip, which was not an option. This girl was strong. "Um, hello? I'm a Teen Titan. We protect this city. We _save_ people. It's what we do," Em said slowly as though she was talking to a first grader.

Factor made another vain attempt to break loose. "Yeah right! I know all about your ruse. You Titans all use your superpowers to rule this city and keep the citizens under control. They say you're their saviors because they're afraid of you!" she shouted.

Em was seriously concerned about Factor's sanity by that time. "What kind of whack-job told you about the Titans? Slade?" she snorted at the last word. She had meant it as a joke, but when Factor remained silent, fears that Em hadn't even comprehended were confirmed. _Slade brainwashed this innocent girl into thinking that _we're_ the enemy…_

"You've got to be kidding me," Em sighed.

"Slade is a great man! He's trying to save the city from you barbarians!" Factor shouted rebelliously.

Em didn't mean to laugh. She really tried not to. But she couldn't help it. She burst out laughing right after Factor was done defending the most evil man in Jump City.

"Slade?" she gasped between her fits of laughter. "A _great man_?" She was laughing so hard she nearly let go of Factor.

Factor growled. "That's right, laugh it up," she grumbled, still trying to break free.

Em held on to her and calmed down a little. "I think I need to tell you a little story," Em said calmly as though holding the struggling girl was easy. "So pipe down for a second, Spaz, you need to hear this."


	64. Storytime With Auntie Em

**Chapter Sixty-Four:** Story Time with Auntie Em (pun intended)

After a couple seconds of confused grappling, Factor found herself face-down on the pavement, her hands still behind her back, with Em sitting on her.

"Ease up!" she shouted.

Em laughed lightly. "This is the only way I could get you to shut up and listen. Now sit tight young lady, I have a story to tell you."

Factor grumbled, but she knew Em wouldn't be getting up any time soon, so she quieted down slightly. It was perfectly obvious that she could have thrown Em off easily in three to four seconds, but she was curious.

"Look at that, progress already," Em said with a sarcastic air. "Once upon a time there were five teenagers who had abilities unlike normal people. They wanted to use their powers for good, and Jump City was in short supply. So, they banded together to fight for justice and get rid of the crime in Jump City. They called themselves the Teen Titans."

"What a load of- ack!" Factor was cut off by Em placing her elbow between Factor's shoulder blades and resting her head on her hand.

"Now is not talking time. You'd better listen to teacher, or you'll get a detention," Em continued airily, putting more weight on her elbow. Factor grumbled again, but fell silent. "Good. As I was saying, they called themselves the Teen Titans."

Em paused for a moment and shot a sidelong glance down at Factor. She remained silent, so Em continued. "The people of Jump City loved their new heroes," Em paused again to increase pressure on her elbow when Factor began to guffaw. "Crime was at an all-time low. But then, a strange man appeared out of nowhere. Nobody knew anything about him. He suddenly began to attack the city and the Titans. He was plotting to take over the city with Robin as his apprentice. This man's name was Slade."

Factor was about to protest, but Em stopped her. "Uh uh uh, haven't you learned your lesson? I've got two elbows, two heels, and a whole crap-load of firepower just waiting for you if you continue to interrupt," she warned light-heartedly. Factor fell silent again. Em smirked.

"The Titans foiled Slade's plots again and again. Then, Slade finally managed to rope Robin in. Robin was forced to be Slade's apprentice, or Slade would destroy the Titans in the most vicious way possible. But Robin's friends returned and rescued him, completely aware of the risk, and they nearly defeated Slade. But alas, he escaped to kill another day."

Factor snorted in laughter, so Em moved her elbow to the back of Factor's head. She complained loudly, but Em merely continued her story.

"Soon after, a girl named Terra joined the Titans. But Slade decided to make _her_ his apprentice instead. Terra was young and impressionable, much like you, so she betrayed the Titans and became Slade's apprentice. Together, they defeated the Titans and took over the city. But the Titans came back with a vengeance. Terra decided to rejoin them because Slade was treating her badly. So she defeated Slade yet again. Now, hers is a long and confusing story, so I'll just say she wasn't around for a while after that."

Factor was finally being quiet willingly… either that or Em's elbow was giving her a concussion.

"Then I came along. I became a Titan, and Slade decided that _he_ wanted metoo. So he kidnapped me and asked me to betray my friends. But I stood up to him, so he tortured me until my friends walked into his trap. But we beat him and he escaped… again."

Em was becoming rather vague now that she was getting into her part of the story.

"Slade actually managed to make me his apprentice not long ago. Mind control and all that. But I got out of that one too, and here we are." Em looked down at Factor. "Are we feeling better now?"

"Would you get off me?!" Factor shouted. She tried vainly to shove Em off of her without the use of her hands.

"I'm not that heavy, am I? Maybe I should do some pilates," Em said thoughtfully, poking her stomach critically.

"Are you finished?" Factor asked grudgingly.

Em thought for a moment. "Nope," she replied shortly. She delivered a quick jab to the nerve cluster at the base of Factor's skull and the girl fell limp. Unconscious. "Now I'm finished."

Em stood up and brushed off her skirt. "Ah, the Falcon Sleep Grip. The things you can learn in books…" she said airily. Then she looked down at the sleeping Factor. "I could just leave her here," she thought aloud. "But why leave what you can un-brainwash!"

The white-clad Titan picked Factor up and flew back to the Tower, humming absent-mindedly as she went.


	65. Braindry Or Braindirty?

**Chapter Sixty-Five:** Braindry or Braindirty?

"So… who… again?"

"Says… 'Factor'… Slade… convinced… enemy…"

Factor groaned as she slowly regained consciousness. She could hear people talking, but only bits and pieces of the conversation were understandable and none of it was making sense.

She groaned again when she recognized the second voice. It was that evil conniving elementress, Em. The witch who had knocked her out after sitting on her for half an hour telling her that everything she knew about Jump City was a lie. But… who was right?

"So… who is this girl again?" Raven asked quietly as she looked at Factor's unconscious form.

"She says her name is 'Factor'. Slade has her convinced that we're the enemy," Em replied.

The cloaked Titan and her white-eyed friend stood over Factor's cot in the infirmary, speaking in low voices about the girl.

"What are we going to do about her?" Raven continued, eyes never leaving Factor.

"I was hoping we could, you know, un-brainwash her?" Em said doubtfully.

"Don't you think it would be like 'braindry' or 'braindirty' if the word is 'brainwash'?" Beast Boy said as he and the rest of the Titans entered the room.

"Shut up Beast Boy," Raven said shortly without looking up.

"Right," he replied, standing next to her and looking down at Factor.

"She's working for Slade. One way of another, she can't be trusted. We need to take her to jail," Robin said clearly.

Em rounded on him. "She's an innocent girl! It's not her fault Slade brainwashed her!" she exclaimed. Robin was about to protest, but Raven stopped him.

"Em's right," she said simply.

"I think we should trust Rob on this one," Cyborg put in.

"Everyone deserves a chance!" Starfire argued.

The Titans all looked at Beast Boy. His vote would decide the outcome. He glanced at her. "Star's right. Everyone deserves a chance," he said quietly. The room fell silent. They knew he was referring to Terra's time under Slade's power. Raven looked away from Factor for the first time. Her eyes were clouded as she stared at the floor.

Em watched her warily. Maybe Raven was right… maybe there had been something between Terra and Beast Boy… Em shook herself briskly. It still seemed weird. She smiled brightly. "So… we wait until she wakes up, and then we talk to her!" she said loudly, shattering the awkward silence easily enough.

Robin sighed heavily. "Alright… but she only gets one chance," he said firmly.

"I must ask… why are you so intent on talking to this girl? She tried to kill you, did she not?" Starfire asked.

"Because she's a good person," Em said quietly, looking at Factor again. "She only wanted to kill me because she thought I was like Slade. Nobody can blame her for wanting to destroy everything he stands for."

Factor suddenly sat up. The six Titans jumped in surprise.

"That's it!" Factor shouted angrily.

"Calm down, we just want to talk to you!" Em said quickly.

"I'm done talking!" Factor continued. "I'm leaving this city. I'm not going back to Slade, I'm not staying here, and I'm not going to be stuck in the middle, wondering who to believe. I'm leaving!"

Before any of the Titans could react, Factor had blasted the sunlit window and torn off into the sky. The Titans stared out the broken window into the clear blue sky.

"So… do you think she'll be back for dinner?" Beast Boy asked with an uncertain laugh.


	66. Everlasting Bliss

**Chapter Sixty-Six:** Everlasting Bliss

Factor had disappeared. Nobody knew if they'd ever see her again, and if they did, whose side she'd be on. Robin told everyone not to worry about it, though he was worrying about it himself.

"Robin?" Starfire's fond voice woke him from his half-sleep as he sat down next to the ocean. He turned around and smiled.

"Yeah?" he replied.

Starfire sat down next to him and looked at him curiously. "Are you well Robin? You seem… distracted lately," she asked, concern evident in her voice.

"I have been. But it's nothing," was Robin's half-hearted response.

Starfire laid a hand on his shoulder. "Please… you can tell me," she said quietly.

Robin paused, then sighed. He knew he couldn't resist her. "I'm just a little worried about the situation with Factor," he admitted.

"But Robin, she disappeared nearly a month ago," Starfire said, surprised by his reasoning.

"I know. But I can't help but wonder if she really did go back to Slade…" Robin trailed off.

"I think she needed time away from all of this. I believe what she said," Starfire said helpfully.

"I guess…" Robin sighed.

"Robin, believing someone does not mean you trust them, and trusting someone does not mean you must always believe them," Starfire said quietly.

Robin looked at her. "That's incredible Starfire. Where did you learn that?" he asked.

"I did not learn it. It is what I believe," Starfire replied with a smile.

Robin smiled back at her. He placed his hand over hers, which was still resting on his shoulder.

"Robin… what we have… it is wonderful," Starfire said breathlessly.

"We're luckier than we know," he replied.

Em and Raven stood at the large windows of the main room, watching. They saw Robin lean forward and meet Starfire's lips with his.

Raven sighed. She leaned back against the window and slid to the floor. Em sat down next to her.

"What _is_ love?" Raven asked fretfully. "Is it all really sunshine and daisies?"

Em thought for a moment. "I don't think love is like that," she said slowly.

"Don't you know what it feels like?" Raven asked, obviously referring to Jase.

Em shrugged. "I don't know that I'm in love with him. Time will tell," she said simply.

Raven nodded. "So… what do you think love is like?"

Em looked away for a moment, thinking. "Love is like… achieving perfect balance. There is light, and there is darkness. There is happiness, and there is pain. Love has two sides of everything. Love can be wonderful, but there is no everlasting bliss."

The two girls fell silent for a moment. "Very insightful," Raven commented finally. Em smiled a little.

"I won't pretend I know what I'm talking about… but it's what I've always believed," Em said truthfully.

Both girls looked up when Beast Boy walked into the room. "Um… sorry, just getting something," he said quickly, figuring they were having a girl-talk moment. He pulled something out of the refrigerator and left.

Raven sighed again and closed her eyes, leaning her head back against the window. "I don't know what to believe right now."


	67. Out

Sorry I didn't post this yesterday. I got distracted and forgot. My bad guys.

* * *

**Chapter Sixty-Seven:** Out

Later that same day, just after the sun had sunk below the horizon, Raven was awoken from her meditation by a knock on her door.

"I'm a little busy!" she called, distinctly annoyed.

"It's me! I need to talk to you!" Beast Boy's voice answered.

Raven sighed. "Fine, come in."

Beast Boy walked in. He looked a little nervous. "Um… Raven?"

Raven stared at him. "Yes?"

"I… you know a couple days ago?" he was obviously struggling to find words.

"That would be called 'Tuesday' Beast Boy," Raven said slowly as though talking to a toddler.

"Right, Tuesday," he laughed nervously. "Well… I had been passing by Em's room… and I heard you and her talking…"

Raven's eyes snapped up to Beast Boy's face. She stared at him so fiercely that Beast Boy strongly considered running for it.

"What did you hear?" Raven said quietly, every syllable sharp with anger.

"I heard you say that Terra said some things to you when she was… you know…" Beast Boy trailed off.

Raven felt no remorse over Beast Boy's self-pity. "And?" That one word was so cold, the entire room seemed to drop a few degrees.

"That was all. I didn't hear anything else, I swear," he said truthfully.

He watched warily as Raven closed her eyes. She was taking very deep breaths through her nose, determined not to do something she'd regret.

"I want to know what Terra said to you. She couldn't have meant it," Beast Boy continued.

Raven opened her eyes in disbelief. After eavesdropping on a very personal conversation, he wanted her to spill something she wouldn't even tell her best friend?

"Get out," she said quietly.

"What?" Beast Boy said, not quite sure he had heard her correctly.

"Get. Out. Now." Every word was trembling with suppressed rage.

"But Raven-" Beast Boy complained.

Raven's eyes glowed white and she raised a hand in front of herself, a black orb of dark energy expanding from her palm.

"Get out before I _make_ you get out," she said loudly.

Beast Boy stood for another moment as though he was going to protest. Then turned and ran from her room.

Raven took a deep breath and closed her eyes when the door slammed shut. She hit the ground with a loud thud as she fell from her hovering position. She didn't seem to notice as she pulled her hood up and buried her face in her hands.


	68. Beneath The Doubt

**Chapter Sixty-Eight:** Beneath the Doubt

Em was sitting on the couch in her room, her legs curled beneath her like a cat. She stared out the dusky windows of her bedroom and absent-mindedly swirled her fingertips around in the cup of green tea she held.

Em's mind had been in sleep mode all evening. It was fine with her. She enjoyed the peace in her head. All of her different sides were relaxing behind their doors. She opened up her mind and let the mixture of emotions emanating from her teammates wash over her.

As far as she could tell, Cyborg, Starfire, and Robin were relaxing in the main room, Raven was meditating, and Beast Boy was…

Em blinked a few times and stopped mindlessly stirring her tea. Beast Boy seemed distressed. Em took a calming breath and closed her eyes, allowing her mind to become completely submersed in the emotions of her teammates.

Everyone was as relaxed as Em was, except for Beast Boy. His mind was spinning. He was incredibly nervous about something. His feelings were so strong Em couldn't even sense where he was. Then, quite suddenly, Raven's emotions changed. She became agitated. Her agitation turned to excruciating anger and Beast Boy's nervousness escalated.

Em drew a simple conclusion from this. Beast Boy had gone to talk to Raven and made her angry. But why would Beast Boy have been so nervous? And it took a lot to make Raven that angry.

But Raven's anger didn't stop there. It kept rising and rising. Em heard footsteps run past her door, then Raven's rage faded as quickly as it had come.

"What the heck just happened?" Em wondered aloud as she closed her mind off from the rest of the team.

Em stood up and put her tea cup on the coffee table in front of her sofa. She cast one final look out upon the dusky city before leaving her bedroom.

"Raven?" she called quietly as she knocked on the door of Raven's room. "Is everything okay? I was just meditating, and-"

The door opened abruptly. Raven looked normal, if not a little distressed. Her hood was pulled up over her head and her cloak was wrapped tightly around her shoulders. "Oh, Em. It's you," she said distractedly when she saw her friend in the doorway.

Em stared at her with a mixture of alarm and concern. "Yeah…" she replied warily.

"Come in here for a second, I want to give you something," Raven said suddenly, disappearing back into her room.

Em followed her in silent bewilderment. Raven emerged from her closet a second later. She was carrying a neatly folded white cloak.

"Here," she said distractedly, handing it to Em. "It changed to white a while ago… during the Malchior incident…" Raven trailed off, but Em knew what she was talking about. "I'll never wear it again, but since you like white clothes I figured you'd want it."

"Wow, thanks!" Em said, draping it over her arm and looking back at Raven. Normally, she'd have been very excited about such a gift, but she was more worried about her friend. "Raven, are you okay?"

"Hm? Oh, yeah I'm fine," Raven was looking around her room as though something was missing.

"Well, okay. I'll see you later then," Em said, not convinced, but not pushing it.

"Yeah, bye," Raven didn't seem to be listening.

Em stood in the hall, wondering vaguely what had just happened. Then she looked at the cloak with a mischievous smile and darted into her room.

"Hey, have you guys seen Beast Boy?" Em's voice asked from the doorway of the main room.

Robin and Starfire both turned around and froze. "Nope," Cyborg replied, his eyes still glued to the TV. Robin tapped him on the shoulder and Cyborg turned around. "Whoa!"

"Ah, you like?" Em asked in a mock-flirtatious way. She was wearing the white cloak Raven had given her. But, being Em, she wasn't just wearing it; she was flaunting it. Even Robin had to admit, he hadn't really realized how attractive Em was until he saw her in that cloak.

"Whoa!" Cyborg repeated, drooling.

"Where did you get the 'new look'?" Starfire asked excitedly, fortunately missing the dumbstruck look on Robin's face.

"Raven," Em replied, suddenly becoming quieter. "She just started acting really weird. Any ideas?"

"Dunno about her, but Beast Boy ran past here not long ago. He was either really angry or really freaked out about something. Could've been both," Cyborg replied.

Em looked thoughtful for a moment. Cyborg and Robin continued to stare at her. Starfire finally saw Robin and shoved him off the couch, giggling madly. Robin, finally regaining his sense, tackled her playfully. Cyborg sighed in annoyance.

"Yo! I'm trying to watch a movie here! I don't need you two makin' out right next to me…" he grumbled.

Robin glared at him and Starfire tried to stifle her laughter.

Em smiled. "I'll leave you to that," she said as she turned and walked out the door, flipping her hair back over her shoulder. Cyborg started drooling again.


	69. To Trust Again, To Trust At All

**Chapter Sixty-Nine:** To Trust Again, To Trust At All

The sun had set completely and the darkness of night fell over Jump City. Em had looked around for Beast Boy and found him nowhere in the Tower. So, she went out of the Tower. There, as she had suspected, she found Beast Boy sitting down next to the water of the bay. Now, Em wasn't usually one to take sides, but Raven was acting extremely weird, so she had no choice but to stop behind Beast Boy, hands on hips, and clear her throat loudly. He whipped around, not having heard her come down.

"So, what did you say to her?" Em said abruptly.

"None of your business…" Beast Boy grumbled, turning back toward the water and glaring moodily at the glassy surface.

"Oh, but I get the feeling that it _is_ my business. And if it isn't, I'm _making_ it my business," Em replied in the same accusatory tone.

Beast Boy grumbled something inaudible.

"Beast Boy, don't try me," Em said sharply. "You don't freak my best friend out like that and get off easy."

Em crouched down next to him to emphasize the next words. "You mess with her, you deal with me."

"Back off, Emily!" Beast Boy snapped, turning on her so abruptly Em was nearly knocked off balance. "I already told you, this has _nothing_ to do with you!"

Em stared at him so coldly he immediately knew he had just made a mistake. "First of all, you _never_ call me Emily," Em said in a quiet-yet-deadly voice. "_Ever_. Understand?"

Beast Boy nodded mutely.

"Good. Second, I'll give you my version of what happened, then you'll give me yours. I was in my room meditating. When I meditate," Em added clearly, "I am very sensitive to the emotions of everyone in the general area. So I picked up on your emotions. You were nervous about something. Then, suddenly, Raven got angry, and you panicked. The only solution I see here, is that you said something stupid to her. Now, I'll ask you again: What did you say to her?"

Beast Boy sighed in frustration. "I… I told her that I overheard her… talking to you about Terra!"

Em had definitely not been expecting that. Her surprise turned quickly to anger. "What did you-?!"

"All I heard was Raven say that Terra said things to her she could never forgive! That's it I swear!" Beast Boy said quickly, recoiling under Em's furious gaze.

"Well I can see why Raven was angry!" Em breathed in rage-filled disbelief.

"And then I asked her to tell me what Terra had told her."

Em's mouth dropped open. _Hm. So he_ is_ as dumb as he looks, _her fire element mused darkly inside Em's brain. "You asked- when she hadn't even told- do you know _nothing_ about women?!" Em was having trouble making sentences.

Beast Boy was slowly backing away from the white-cloaked Titan. "Look, I only wanted to clear it up. Terra couldn't have meant it. Raven should just forgive her."

Em groaned. "Boys…" she muttered furiously.

"What's that supposed to mean?" Beast Boy replied indignantly.

Em glared at him. "It means you and every other boy in Jump City needs a serious lesson on girls. Except Robin. He already got his," Em added as an afterthought, recalling the time she had slammed Robin into a heating duct to get him to admit his feelings for Starfire. "You're all insensitive jerks and you have a right to know it," she finished simply.

"I'm so not a jerk!" Beast Boy burst out.

"Yes, you are," Em countered. "Let's think for a second, shall we? Raven wouldn't even tell me what Terra said to her, so you decide to dance right in and ask her about it. I'm sure _that_ made her feel a whole lot better, idiot."

"How was I supposed to know-" Beast Boy began, but Em cut him off.

"Shut up, Beast Boy. I'm not finished," she said lightly. "By the way, I know that you kissed her. I saw it with my own two eyes. So you decided, 'Hey, I think I'll lead Raven on today!', kiss her, and pretend it never happened. Then, when Jase and I get together, you start to remember that you did, in fact, have some sort of affection toward Raven and start freaking out whenever you see her. After which, you listen in on a _private conversation_ and ask her about it. She finally had some hope about you, you idiot. Then you're all 'Oh Terra, oh my poor dear Terra, she'd never be so mean to you, she'd never do something like that. She didn't mean to try and kill us all, it was an accident! Oh BOOHOO!'" Em found herself on her feet. "Cry me a river, build me a bridge, and GET OVER IT!"

Beast Boy was incredibly taken aback by this.

"You have to make a choice, Beast Boy! Raven's getting hurt by you. That's right, her heart is BREAKING OVER YOU!" Em was shouting at him now. If there's one side of normal Em you don't want to see, it's her angry side. Her fire element was incredibly amused. "So either you accept that you have feelings for Raven and _do_ something about it, or you GET OVER YOURSELF AND LEAVE HER ALONE!" Em stopped a moment, breathing heavily. She leaned down so she was inches from Beast Boy, who was staring at her in near terror. "And if you keep messing with her, you will answer to me."

With that, Em straightened up, threw her cloak back over her shoulders, and walked back into the Tower without another word, slamming the door behind her.


	70. Tis The Season

**Chapter Seventy:** 'Tis the Season

Needless to say, Robin, Starfire and Cyborg took notice when Em stormed into the Tower and made a beeline for the gym. The three Titans exchanged mystified looks before Cyborg went to check on her.

He opened the door to find Em viciously pummeling the punching bag with flaming fists. Interestingly enough, her cloak had turned red along with her hair and eyes. She kicked the punching bag, and the chain connecting it to the ceiling snapped, sending the bag flying straight at Cyborg. Cyborg ducked and it smashed into the wall behind him.

"Sorry!" Em gasped hurriedly.

"Yo! What did the punching bag do to you?!" Cyborg said as he stood up.

Em looked at the floor apologetically. "Sorry… a certain changeling just put me in a bad mood…"

"Ah man, what did Beast Boy do now?" Cyborg replied.

Em smiled a little. "He just pissed me off, that's all," Em didn't feel like going into detail.

"Well, if you wanna talk, I'm here for you," Cyborg said, smiling.

Em smiled back. "Thanks. I'd better clean this up though," she said, looking back at the cracked wall and the busted punching bag.

"Need any help?" he asked.

"No, it's okay. I just need a little time to think," Em said as she changed to her electric element. Her cloak turned yellow. She raised her hand and shot webs of static electricity at the bag. It was attracted by the static, and she lifted it back up to the chain.

"That's a neat trick," Cyborg commented as he reached up and bent the chain links back into shape.

"It tends to come in handy," Em replied with a smile.

"Well, I'll see you later then," he said as he walked out the door.

"Okay. Thanks," Em smiled after him.

Winter descended once again on Jump City. Em hadn't spoken to Beast Boy in a week. Beast Boy and Raven were avoiding each other completely. It wasn't exactly the best mood to be in for the holidays.

And the holidays were coming alright. Christmas lights shone in nearly every window. Starfire, with the help of Robin, Em, and Cyborg, had decorated the Tower. They had a massive Christmas tree in the main room decorated with bulbs, tinsel, and everything in between. At the top, instead of a star or an angel, was a large gold 'T'.

Snow had fallen heavily on the city. They had received three feet in two weeks. It was most definitely going to be a white Christmas.

"Today is the day of Christmas Eve!" Starfire shouted excitedly on December twenty-fifth. Raven and Beast Boy were both in their bedrooms. Cyborg was in the garage for the millionth time since the snow came, checking that the temperature was okay for his baby. Robin was making hot chocolate for himself and Starfire. Em was sitting at the kitchen table, chin on her hand and elbow on the tabletop, staring morosely out the windows across the room.

She had called Jase and asked if there was any chance of her seeing him for Christmas. He'd told her it was doubtful. Bruce was working him as hard as ever. Apparently, Bruce didn't believe in holidays.

Starfire's female intuition kicked in and she sat down across from Em. Robin hurriedly left, sensing the impending girl-talk.

"What is on your mind?" Starfire asked quietly.

Em looked up, not having noticed Starfire sitting down. She sighed. "It's nothing. I shouldn't be so down. It's Christmas Eve!" she said, attempting a smile.

Starfire smiled worriedly. "Do not kid your self," she replied.

Em frowned and sighed again. "Okay… so I miss him a little…" she mumbled, staring at the tabletop.

Starfire's smile faded. "I am sorry," she said, quite sure it wouldn't help.

"It's not like it's your fault…" Em replied.

"I wish there was some way I could help," Starfire said hopefully.

"Thanks, but I'm pretty sure there isn't." Em returned her gaze to the windows. She seemed to be lost in thought.

"Well… I am going to go join Robin now, if you don't mind," Starfire said, standing up and taking her mug of hot chocolate from the counter.

"Alright. See you later," Em muttered distractedly.

Starfire sighed and walked from the room. Em stayed where she was for quite a while.

The next morning, it was Christmas. All of the Titans opened their gifts from each other. Even Beast Boy and Raven exchanged gifts, much to everyone's surprise. When the wrapping paper and ribbons were cleaned up and breakfast was over, everyone was in an all-around good mood.

The doorbell rang right after the dishes were washed. All of the Titans stopped talking, wondering who could be at the door. Robin went to get it. The rest of the Titans listened. It sounded like another male was at the door talking to Robin. Em and Cyborg exchanged questioning looks.

Robin walked through the doors of the main room first. "Em, there's someone here to see you," he said casually. Then, none other than Jase Lark walked through the door. Em shrieked and flew across the room so fast the other Titans thought she must have been in her electric element. She tackled Jase before he could even say "Merry Christmas." They landed on the floor and slid until Jase was sitting against the wall, Em on her knees straddling his abdomen and kissing him hungrily.

"Well, 'tis the season!" Cyborg commented.

"Dude, _that_ season isn't until February! Do you mind? I just ate!" Beast Boy shouted.


	71. Less Than Perfect

**Chapter Seventy-One:** Less Than Perfect

Em ignored Beast Boy's comment. She hadn't seen Jase since the mind-control incident. All she cared about at that moment was him. She let herself drift away. The feeling of his strong arms around her and the taste of his lips were the only things she knew. Nothing else mattered.

"I don't think she's listening," Cyborg said, trying not to laugh at Beast Boy.

"I wouldn't be if I were her," Raven pointed out.

Starfire giggled. "I guess they couldn't make it to the mistletoe," she joked.

Robin smiled. "Come on guys, let's give them some privacy," he said, taking Starfire's hand. The five Titans left the room.

Em and Jase finally needed to breathe, so they pulled apart a little. "Merry Christmas," Jase whispered, brushing his lips against hers.

Em shivered excitedly. "Same to you," she whispered back. Her heart was beating very fast.

He placed his hands on her waist and pulled her more tightly against him. She laid her head on his chest, listening to his heartbeat contentedly. She smiled and closed her eyes.

"Sorry I took so long," he said quietly.

"It was worth the wait," she replied breathlessly.

While the other Titans returned to their bedrooms, Robin and Starfire remained in the hallway outside the main room.

Starfire smiled suddenly. "I am glad Em has found someone," she said quietly.

Robin looked at her. "What do you mean?" he asked curiously.

"You recall that I was the only one Em told about Jase?" Starfire began. Robin nodded, so she continued. "Well… she told me once that I was very lucky to have someone to love. I told her she would find someone, but she said she didn't want to find someone. She just didn't want to be confused anymore. But it seems that she did want to find Jase."

Robin sighed. "I'll never understand girls," he said simply.

Starfire smiled mischievously. "You aren't supposed to anyway," she replied lightly, kissing his cheek and walking to her room without another word.

Robin smiled. Maybe it was more fun _not_ understanding…

The Titans learned later that day that Jase would be leaving that evening. Em protested immediately and called Bruce a few choice words which, though Robin had to agree with her, were kind of unnecessary. Needless to say, the tension between Em and Jase was high for the rest of the day.

That evening, when Jase was preparing to leave, Em couldn't be found. Starfire gave Jase some advice concerning where she might be. Sure enough, Starfire was right in saying that Em would be on the roof. Jase sat down next to her.

"I guess I can't blame you for leaving," she said without even looking up. "I'd want my distance if I were you, after the way I've been acting."

"Come on, Em! I'll admit our relationship has always been… well… less than perfect," he said frankly. "But I still want to be with you."

Em smiled mischievously. "I know, I know. You can't resist me, can you?" she said airily.

Jase shrugged. "Never could," he replied simply before grabbing her and pulling her into a kiss. She laughed, but the sound was lost in his mouth.

She pulled away from him. "Don't you have a ride to catch?" she asked with a smile.

"I wish I didn't," he replied, trying to kiss her again.

She blocked him with her fingers. "You don't want to be late. Big Bad Brucey might ground you, and then I'd never see you again," she said, trying to hold back her laughter.

"I'd like to see him try to keep me away," he said with a sly smile, grabbing her hand, turning it over and kissing it.

"Hm, charming," she laughed.

He stood up and pulled her to her feet. "And with that, fair lady, I must bid you adieu," he said in a British accent, bowing.

"Oh, my hero!" Em cried, pretending to faint. She smiled and hugged him. "It was good to see you."

Jase closed his eyes and took a deep breath, inhaling the smell of her hair. "It was great to see you," he replied.


	72. All Bets Are Off

**Chapter Seventy-Two:** All Bets Are Off

Over the next week, Em was quiet, but in a good mood. Beast Boy was still wary of her, and Raven was still acting a little strange, but otherwise, things were back to normal. That is, until December thirty-first.

The Titans had been invited to a grand total of eighteen New Year's parties and declined every offer. They were going to stay home this year and have a party of their own. Keeping it simple, as Robin put it. Pigging out and watching movies until the countdown. After the hectic year they had faced, the Titans were all too glad to have a night to relax and celebrate the age-old tradition of 'out with the old, in with the new'.

However, Beast Boy began acting strange the moment he woke up at six in the morning. That alone was weird enough, considering he didn't usually wake up until eleven, giving him just enough time to eat breakfast before lunch. The rest of the Titans noticed immediately that he was, for once, being quiet. He didn't say a word when he walked into the kitchen. When asked what he wanted for breakfast, he just shook his head and mumbled, "Not hungry." Cyborg nearly blew a fuse in shock. Even Raven looked up from her book and contemplated the boy thoughtfully.

The rest of the day, he didn't talk at all unless someone asked what he was doing. He spent most of the day wandering the halls or just sitting in random places, and his answer would be, "Thinking of what I should do." When asked what he was talking about, he'd ignore whoever was asking. Even Em's anger toward him was replaced by worry.

When the Titans were preparing for their movie marathon and Beast Boy was nowhere to be found, Raven finally decided to take initiative and find him. She found him outside in the snow, sitting at the edge of the icy bay. Raven remembered clearly the last time she had been here alone with Beast Boy. That was the day she had felt real love for the first time, and she wouldn't soon forget it.

Raven walked down to him slowly. "Beast Boy?" she called as she approached.

He whipped around when he heard her voice. When he saw that it was her, his eyes widened considerably. "Oh, um, hi Raven!" he said cheerfully, his voice high with nervousness.

Raven raised an eyebrow and crouched down next to him, looking straight into his eyes and trying to discern what was making him act so weird. "Is everything okay?" she asked gently, placing a hand on his shoulder.

He shivered when she touched him and looked over at the icy surface of the bay, trying desperately to avoid eye-contact. "Hm? Oh yeah I'm fine! Nothing wrong, just, you know, thinking about some stuff!" he continued in his oddly high-pitched voice.

Normally, Raven would have commented on the fact that he was actually thinking, but she was genuinely concerned. "Beast Boy, please, talk to me," she said quietly.

For a moment, it looked as though he was going to. But then he looked down and sighed. "I'm fine Raven. I just need a little time to myself," he said, his voice back to normal now, though he sounded depressed.

"You've been by yourself all day," Raven pointed out gently. She squeezed his shoulder a little, but instead of helping to calm him down, the gesture seemed to make his anxiety grow. Raven found herself wishing she could help him. "We're about to start the first movie… don't you want to come?"

"No… I think I'll stay down here for now," he replied, refusing to look at her.

"Do you… want me to stay with you?" she asked tentatively.

Beast Boy looked up at her, surprised. "You'd do that for me?" he asked doubtfully.

Raven smiled a little. "Of course," she replied quietly.

"…Th-thanks, but no. I wouldn't want you to stay down here in the cold because of me," he said, returning his gaze to the frozen water.

"The cold doesn't affect me," Raven said even more quietly.

Beast Boy thought for a moment. "I just-" he began as though he was speaking against his own better judgment.

"It's okay," Raven cut him off. She stood up. "Just don't stay out too long."

He watched her walk back to the door. When she reached it, she looked back at him. He quickly turned back to the frozen bay. She looked at him for a moment more before walking back into the Tower. He heard the door close behind him and sighed.

Raven silently returned to the main room. The others looked at her questioningly, but she remained silent, so they didn't push her. They watched four movies, two of which were horror movies. Both of them culminated with Starfire freaking out and Robin comforting her until she calmed down. Em and Cyborg watched interestedly on both occasions, but Raven didn't seem to be paying attention to the movies or the free entertainment.

The movies were finished, and Beast Boy was still sitting out in the snow. They were beginning the countdown from five minutes at Times Square. Cyborg began wondering loudly why they started at five minutes. That's a lot of seconds! Raven stood up and left. The other Titans didn't have to ask where she was going.

"Beast Boy…"

Beast Boy was awoken from his reverie at the sound of Raven's voice. He jumped when he realized that she was right next to him. He had been so deep in thought, he hadn't even noticed her.

"Beast Boy," she repeated sadly. "I told you not to stay out too long."

"I haven't been out here that long," he protested distractedly.

"It's three minutes to midnight," Raven said.

"Whoa, really? I didn't realize I'd been out here that long…" he muttered, shivering.

"Look at you, you're freezing," Raven chided softly.

"No really, I'm fine," he said quickly when Raven moved closer to him.

"You're going to get sick," she continued quietly, taking one of his hands in both of hers. "Your hands are frozen," she commented, rubbing his hand gently in an effort to warm it up.

Beast Boy seemed unable to move. He stared at her hands as they slowly worked the feeling back into his fingers. "Raven…" he said finally.

"One minute to midnight! Now that's when you're supposed to start counting down!" Cyborg shouted excitedly.

Starfire smiled brightly as she watched the television screen. Robin was next to her, eagerly awaiting the New Year. He had looked forward to it much more since he and Starfire had gotten together, because she whole-heartedly promoted the midnight kiss tradition. Em wasn't concentrating on much of anything. Her mind was reeling over something. She decided to ignore it and just enjoy the celebration.

"Why are you doing this?" Beast Boy asked.

Raven looked up at him. "What do you mean?"

"After what I did… I thought you'd be angry at me, but you're acting like you care about me," he said quietly.

Raven looked surprised, almost hurt. "I do care about you," she replied.

"But… I thought you didn't feel anything," Beast Boy said before he could stop himself.

"I feel; I just hold the feelings back. But I have enough control to release some emotions," Raven explained calmly, still absent-mindedly rubbing his hand.

"Five… four… three… two… one!" Cyborg counted down with the TV. "HAPPY NEW YEAR!" he shouted.

Em smiled. "Uh… SAME TO YOU!" she shouted back.

Robin pushed some of Starfire's hair behind her ears and kissed her gently. She excitedly returned the favor.

Outside, the city was silent until a sudden burst of noise came from across the bay.

"I guess it's midnight," Raven commented.

Beast Boy nodded, still staring at Raven's hands. But his eyes widened when he felt something on his cheek. Lips. Raven's lips. He stared as she pulled away.

"Happy New Year," she whispered with a smile.

Beast Boy was too surprised to say anything right away. He just smiled in a dazed sort of way. She let go of his hand and took hold of the other one, warming it carefully with her own. He reached up with his now-warm hand and touched the place where she had kissed him. She smiled again, focusing on her work.

"Raven?" Beast Boy said suddenly.

"Yes?"

"Thanks."

Raven looked up at him again, still wearing a faint smile. "You don't have to thank me," she began. "I don't know why you were acting so strange today, but I'm still here for you. If you ever want to talk to me, I'll be by your side."

Beast Boy didn't know what to say. Raven just returned her focus to his hand. "Raven," he finally stammered. She looked up. "It goes both ways. I promise I will always be here for you, too."

Raven's smile returned. It was an unfamiliar smile, portraying some emotion Beast Boy had never seen on Raven before. "Thank you," she whispered.

Beast Boy stopped her before she could continue warming his hands. He held both of her hands in his and smiled. "Suddenly, I'm not so cold anymore," he said. She blushed, but she smiled back.


	73. The Edge Of Sanity

**Chapter Seventy-Three:** The Edge of Sanity

The next morning, Raven and Beast Boy came out of their respective rooms at the same time. They both blushed and smiled, not sure what to say.

"Um… sleep well?" Beast Boy asked as they began to walk to breakfast together.

"Very. You?" she replied.

"Same," he said. Thankfully, they came to the doors of the main room at that moment. They walked in and sat down at the table with Cyborg and Em. Robin and Starfire weren't awake yet.

Raven and Beast Boy had both noticed a change between them. There was still tension, but a different kind neither of them could place. But more interesting still was the sudden comfort they each felt in the other's company. A new bond had been forged between them. It went deeper than friendship, but they didn't know what they were anymore if not friends.

But Raven noticed something else at breakfast. Em's facial expression was very strange. She looked like she was trying to look tired to cover up something else. Raven had no idea how right she was.

Em's mind had been tossing and turning since the previous afternoon. There was something wrong, she just didn't know what. So, after breakfast, Em returned to her room to meditate.

"Hey, Em!"

Em turned toward the doors when she reached the lake in her mind. Her fire, water, and electric elements were walking toward her, each one looking worried.

"What's going on?" Em asked quickly when they reached her.

"We don't know," electricity replied.

"All of the doors have been sealing themselves off, one by one, starting with gravity. Ice's locked just before you got here," water continued.

"Gravity? But what about time?" Em stammered.

"We don't know where she is. Her door's unlocked, and she's not there," fire said suspiciously.

"Ow!" electricity shouted suddenly, bending over and clutching her stomach.

"Ow?" Em repeated, bewildered. Em wasn't supposed to be able to feel physical pain inside her mind, and neither were any of her elements.

Water grabbed electricity by her shoulders. "What's wrong?" she asked urgently.

"I-I don't know, I- ouch!" electricity bent over again, gritting her teeth.

"What the-?" fire began as she watched. Em's electric element was slowly being pulled back toward her door. She was too distracted by the pain in her stomach to fight back. The third door burst open of its own accord. Water ran over to try and close it, but it wouldn't budge. Em and her fire element both grabbed electricity's hands and tried to hold her back, but they found themselves being pulled along with her.

"No!" water shouted as electricity disappeared behind her door. Fire ran up and yanked on the doorknob to no avail.

"This is bad. This is very very bad," Em panicked, running her fingers through her hair.

"No kidding?" fire growled.

"What are we supposed to do?" water asked hopelessly.

"I… don't know," Em muttered. She turned to fire. "You're my Conscience, you know what to do, right?"

Fire shook her head. "This is all new to me…"

Water gasped. Em and fire whipped around. Water was already too close to her door to resist. "Em!" she shouted desperately. But it was too late. Her door slammed shut.

Fire pounded her fists against the second door. She swore loudly. Suddenly, Em grabbed her hand and dragged her over to the lake shore.

"We have to get you as far away from your door as possible," Em said fervently.

"How will that help?" fire was starting to panic now too.

"There'll be more time to…" Em trailed off. Fire's door opened. "No!" She grabbed one of fire's wrists in both of her hands as her red-headed Conscience doubled over in pain.

"Em, we have to do something!" she gasped through clenched teeth.

"What else can I do?!" Em growled as she dug her heels into the ground. It didn't help.

"I'm… slipping!" fire shouted as Em's grip started to weaken.

"I'm trying!" Em replied. But again, it was too late. Fire broke free and Em fell over backwards. She heard the first door slam and groaned. "What's happening?" she whispered fearfully as she sat up.

Darkness began to fall around her. Her surroundings were disappearing into blackness. In a matter of seconds, Em was all by herself. No lake, no doors, just darkness. But then she heard something. Footsteps. Someone appeared before her. She looked just like Em, but with green hair, green eyes, green cloak, and an evil smirk revealing… fangs?

"T…time?" Em stammered in disbelief, still sitting on the ground.

"Well hello there, Emily," time said, her voice sounding just like fire's, but much more calm.

"What have you done?" Em asked coldly.

"I have merely done what I was destined to do," time replied. "Everything is laid out in the stars, Emily. I do the bidding of the fates, that's all."

"But… why? Why did you turn out to be evil? I rarely see you, but when I do, you've seemed so… nice," Em was thoroughly confused.

"You've said it yourself: there are two sides of everything. Light, darkness, pain, happiness. Everything has an opposite," time explained calmly, walking around Em in slow circles. "Your fire element was your first element, and I am your last. Naturally, we are balanced, so I am her opposite. She seems evil on the outside, but she has a good heart. As for me, I 'seemed so… nice,' but we can all guess what kind of heart I have…"

Em was having trouble comprehending this, but she waved it aside. "What have you done with the others? Where's the rest of me?" she asked frantically.

Time laughed. "You haven't been listening very well. Let me lay this out in terms you'll understand," time paused, stopping in front of Em. She snapped her fingers and a small scale made of what looked like shimmering white fog appeared in front of Em. She leaned forward slightly, looking at it curiously. Time bent down as well.

"You see, Emily, there are two sides of your mind. The good," she pointed to the right tray of the scale, "and the bad," she pointed at the left tray. "Your ten elements balance the tray." Ten small blocks, each glowing the color of one of Em's elements, appeared on the scale. Fire, water, electricity, ice, and wind went to the right, while earth, light, darkness, gravity, and time went to the left.

"Fire and I are the strongest of the ten. We symbolize the two greatest opposites: beginning and end, good and evil. So we stay on our trays no matter what. Now, water, electricity, ice, light, darkness, and gravity all stay where they are as well. That is merely because of the order in which they were discovered. But wait; there seem to be two missing."

Two more figures emerged from the darkness behind time: one silver, one brown. Wind and earth.

"These two came in the middle. They do not have assigned places. Wind usually resides on the good side, while earth usually resides on the bad, but they alone have the power to tip the scales. They are the keepers of your internal balance, and should they both decide to go to the same side, whichever side they choose will gain the advantage."

"But then there isn't a problem!" Em protested suddenly. "Earth is on your side, and wind is on mine! Right?"

Time smirked and glanced over at wind, who looked as though she was going to cry.

"…Right?" Em repeated warily.

Time laughed derisively. "Look at the scale, Emily," she said quietly.

Em looked down at the scale. To her horror, the silver block was on the left side. The scales tipped.

"But…" Em looked up at wind desperately. "I don't understand…"

"She tricked me!" wind burst out suddenly. "Oh Em I'm so sorry!" There were tears sliding from her silver eyes.

Em looked back at the scale. "…So… what happens now?"

Time smiled again as wind and earth disappeared into the darkness. The scale disappeared and time began to disappear as well. "Now, your mind is no longer watched over by your dear fire element. I'm in charge now."

Time shrank into the darkness entirely. Em felt a sudden pain in her stomach, and before she knew it, she fell away from her mind.

In the real world, Em crashed back to reality. Her eyes snapped open and she gasped. Her head felt like it would explode. She fell to her hands and knees from her hovering position. She growled through gritted teeth, trying to fight the pain. It didn't work.

She ran her fingers through her hair, feeling rage, pain, fear, anger, and the all-conquering darkness welling up inside her. Finally, it was too late. She clenched her hands in her hair and took a deep breath.

Five Titans looked up from what they were doing. Somewhere in the Tower, someone was screaming.


	74. The Dark Side Of The Scale

**Chapter Seventy-Four:** The Dark Side of the Scale

Raven and Beast Boy had been talking down the hall, so they reached Em's room first. She was sitting quite still on the floor. Her eyes were in the shadows of her hair, so they couldn't tell if she was conscious.

"…Em?" Beast Boy called cautiously.

Em looked up. She looked normal… and yet, they sensed something strange about her.

"Hm?" she answered curiously.

"Um… we just heard you scream, is everything okay?" Beast Boy continued.

Em smiled faintly. Raven narrowed her eyes. That wasn't Em's smile.

"Oh yeah, I'm fine, sorry, just dozed off and had a bit of a nightmare," she said cheerfully.

Cyborg, Robin and Starfire burst into the room. They looked around in confusion.

"Didn't you just scream?" Robin asked awkwardly.

"Apparently she had a nightmare," Raven answered coolly. Something wasn't right. Robin, Starfire and Cyborg noticed it too.

"Are you okay?" Starfire asked warily.

"Fine, thank you," Em replied good-naturedly.

Cyborg looked at her suspiciously. "Want something to eat?" he asked casually. The others stared at him.

"No thanks, I'm not hungry," Em said with a smile.

"HA!" Cyborg shouted, pointing at Em wildly.

"What?" Em stammered, bewildered.

"Who are you and what have you done with Em?!" Beast Boy shouted, catching on.

"What are you talking about? I am Em," Em was speaking like they were crazy.

"Obviously, you aren't," Raven hissed.

"Em is never not hungry!" Starfire shouted accusingly.

"You just gave yourself away," Robin finished. "Now who are you?!"

"Whoa, you guys are way uptight," Em said, laughing a little. "I don't get it though, what's the joke?"

"No joke," Cyborg said cautiously.

"What do I have to do to prove it?" Em continued, still laughing.

"How many elements do you have?" Robin snapped.

"Ten."

"On what day did we first meet you?"

"April twenty-third."

"How many years ago was that?"

"Four, this April."

Robin was out of questions.

"You're going too easy on her," Raven said lightly. She looked straight at Em. "What did you tell me it was much scarier to be in the slums?"

Em froze. The room went silent. "You promised you'd never tell," Em pleaded fearfully.

Raven turned back to the others. "It's her," she said simply.

"What, this wasn't a joke?" Em said suddenly. "Who else would I be?"

The Titans, needless to say, were confused. But they apologized and left the room. Once the door was shut and Em was alone, she smiled, revealing her unnaturally sharp canine teeth.

"They can tell something's wrong, but they just don't get it," she said, amused.


	75. Off Balance

**Chapter Seventy-Five:** Off Balance

Em's fire element was getting restless. More-so than usual, anyway. Moody and reclusive as she was, she could only sit in her volcano for so long before getting bored. Not to mention the fact that Em was slowly becoming inexplicably evil and there was nothing she could do about it.

It had been exactly one week since the scales had tipped and Em's mind was thrown horrendously off balance. Fire was still trying to figure out what the heck she was supposed to do. She paced around and around her steaming grotto, temper rising with the temperature.

"I'm her Conscience, I'm responsible for her, why did I let this happen?!" she ranted, finally falling over exasperatedly and laying on the hot sand on the floor of her cave, staring at the dark red stalactites above her.

"Man do I need a vacation…" she groaned.

_Fire!_

Fire sat up suddenly. She had heard someone's voice, she was sure of it. It was one of Em's other sides… but which one?

_Fire, can you hear me?_

"…Yes?" the red-head said warily.

_It's ice. I'm meditating. You have to speak through your mind. Can you hear me?_

Fire quickly sat cross-legged and hovered into the air. She closed her eyes and opened her thoughts.

_I can hear you. Can you hear me?_ she said, both aloud and in her head.

_Yes. Can everyone else hear me?_ ice continued.

_Yep,_ fire heard electricity respond.

_Yes,_ water said.

_How did you know we could contact each other like this?_ fire mused.

_I'm alone much more often than any of you. I have time to figure these things out,_ ice said briskly, obviously not thinking the question was important.

_And you didn't contact us earlier because…?_ Fire grumbled.

_Because it takes a week of meditation to open the link between us,_ ice snapped back.

_Can we continue please?_ water cut in.

_Yeah, what's the plan?_ electricity added impatiently.

_Well, I don't know if it will work, and I'll need some more ideas from all of you, but we are going to do something as soon as we can,_ ice said seriously. _Here's what we have to do…_


	76. Big Trouble

**Chapter Seventy-Six:** Big Trouble

"Raven? Are you okay?" Robin asked when the five Titans exited Em's room. Raven looked uncomfortable about something, like there was a detail she'd missed.

"I don't know… I just have this weird feeling…" Raven replied quietly.

"Indeed. There is something going on with our friend that I do not understand," Starfire added.

"Let's just give it a little time. If she keeps acting weird, we'll do some investigating," Robin said.

Raven nodded, though she still seemed bothered by something. Robin, Starfire and Cyborg went their separate ways. Beast Boy put a hand on Raven's shoulder.

"It's okay Raven. This won't last long," he said comfortingly.

"I hope so," Raven replied, looking up at him and smiling a little.

_That's all well and good, but for any of your impossible ideas to work, we have one little obstacle to overcome,_ fire burst out after listening to ice for nearly half an hour. _We are still stuck in our own realms!_

_I am aware of that, _ice hissed back. _I was getting there. To get out of here, we need-_

_Hold it, hold it, just stop right there,_ fire cut in impatiently.

_What?_ ice snapped.

_I know what you're going to say, and it won't work, _fire replied stubbornly.

_What won't work?_ water asked quickly

_Yeah, what?_ electricity added excitedly.

_I'm the only one who can open the doors, because time sealed them, and since we're opposites, I'm the only one who can counteract her powers, _fire grumbled.

_Well, if you know that, why didn't you get us out? _ice growled.

_I tried. A lot. But I have no idea what powers I'm supposed to be using!_ fire finished exasperatedly.

_Think! There must be something you know about all of this!_ ice hissed.

Fire opened her eyes. It was true; she did feel like this situation was kind of familiar… She felt like there was something she had forgotten… something she had missed…

_What did time say again?_ she said suddenly.

The other three remained silent, having no idea what she was talking about.

_Now I remember! 'We symbolize the two greatest opposites: beginning and end, good and evil.'_ she said slowly. _Beginning and end… hmm…_

_Remember anything yet? _ice grumbled crossly.

_Wait… _fire said suddenly, ignoring ice's comment. _Beginning and end! I get it! I brought about the beginning of Em's powers, so time is trying to…_

All four of them gasped. The break in concentration closed the link between them and they were all left with their own reeling thoughts.

"I've gotta get out of here!" fire shouted suddenly, jumping to her feet and racing to her door. "I have to save her!"

"We need to stop her!" water shouted, tearing toward her door.

"There isn't much time- ha, time…" electricity paused to laugh when she reached her door.

"I'm getting fed up with this," ice growled, yanking on her door handle.

Fire pulled on the doorknob. "Why…"

Water kicked the door angrily. "…won't…"

Electricity shot a bolt of thunder at her plain wooden door. "…you…"

Ice punched the door with all the strength she had. "…open?!"

The four doors burst open and the girls all fell out of their doorways. They all sat up, rubbing various limbs indignantly. They looked at each other.

"I dunno what we did, but it worked," electricity commented.


	77. Fangs Are Never A Good Sign

**Chapter Seventy-Seven:** Fangs Are Never a Good Sign

"Is a week long enough?" Raven asked Robin out of the blue before breakfast one morning. It had been a week since Em had started acting weird, and the Titans had been rather on-edge around her the entire time. She seemed normal, but there was something strange about her.

Robin sighed. He didn't want to invade Em's privacy. She was known for her protectiveness of her personal life, and you didn't want to get on fire's bad side this early in the morning.

"Well… what have you noticed about her? She doesn't seem to be acting _that_ weird…" Robin lied.

Raven knew he was just avoiding the inevitable, but she humored him anyway. "She hasn't meditated in days, she seems to be avoiding me, she hasn't smiled normally all week, need I go on?"

Robin looked at her. She was staring at him levelly. That look was enough to make anyone slightly afraid for his or her life. Robin wondered how Beast Boy put up with it nearly every day.

He sighed again. "Okay, we'll go talk to her…" he muttered, defeated.

"Good. Come on," Raven said simply, turning and walking out the door of the main room. Robin got up and slowly followed her.

"Em?" Raven shouted, knocking on the seventh door in the hallway.

"What?" Em's voice said.

"Can we come in?"

The door opened. Em was looking at them curiously. "Something wrong?" she asked lightly.

"I was going to ask you the same question," Raven replied.

Em raised an eyebrow and looked at Robin. He looked at Raven, who glared at him.

"Um, yeah, we've noticed that you've been acting kind of… weird lately," Robin said uncomfortably.

Em leaned on her doorframe and gave Robin the same level look Raven had given him minutes before. "Weird? How so?" she asked coolly.

"Oh, you know, you haven't meditated in a while, and you seem to be avoiding Raven, and you haven't smiled normally all week…" Robin replied.

Raven glared at him again. "Em, I know something's wrong, so don't pretend you're okay," she said swiftly.

Em looked at her thoughtfully. "You know what Raven? You're right; there is something wrong," she said finally. Robin and Raven exchanged a brief glance, but when they looked back, they were shocked beyond all reason. Em was smiling evilly in a most un-Em-like way, revealing her pointed canines. "You won't leave me alone!" she shouted, slamming the door.

Robin and Raven stood in shocked silence. "Okay, so maybe there is something wrong," Robin admitted.

"Yeah," Raven replied, too surprised to be sarcastic. "Fangs are never a good sign."


	78. Oh Crap

**Chapter Seventy-Eight:** Oh Crap…

"I was hoping that confrontation could be avoided for a little while longer…" time muttered angrily as she hovered over the lake in Em's mind. Em's world had been drastically changed in the past week. The trees were all bare, the ground was dry, and the sky was overcast, perpetually pale gray.

Time sat up suddenly when she heard a sound. She whipped around, but there was nothing there. Just the ten doors, standing in a row like tombstones. She turned back to the waters. "I could have sworn I heard a door open…" she muttered distractedly, but it quickly passed from her thoughts.

Fire, water, electricity and ice breathed sighs of relief. They were all pressed against the backs of their doors, hoping time hadn't seen them.

Starfire looked out of her room curiously. She had heard a door slam, and wondered what was wrong. She saw Robin and Raven standing quite still in front of Em's closed door. Starfire walked over to them.

"Robin?" she said tentatively, placing a hand on his shoulder and drawing closer to him.

He jumped and looked at her in surprise. "Oh, Starfire! What was the question?" he said distractedly.

Starfire's worry turned quickly to concern. "I did not ask you a question. What is wrong?" she asked quietly.

Raven pulled up her hood and began walking slowly toward her room, a thoughtful look on her face.

Robin's mind was reeling. What exactly had just happened?

Starfire was getting rather alarmed. She squeezed Robin's shoulder and he didn't seem to notice. "Robin?" she said urgently. Still no response. Starfire smiled slyly. She placed one hand on the back of his neck and pressed her lips to his. He jumped again and nearly fell over.

"I see I got your attention," Starfire said lightly with a mischievous giggle.

"You almost gave me a heart attack!" he gasped dramatically. Then he grinned slyly back. "Feel free to do so whenever you want."

Starfire laughed again, but then remembered why she had kissed him in the first place. "Robin, why were you not responding to my questions?" she asked worriedly.

"Sorry, Star. I got a little distracted. Em has fangs," he replied.

Starfire stared at him. "Fangs?" she repeated blankly.

"Yeah. She just told Raven and me to buzz off and slammed the door in our faces," he continued.

Starfire looked extremely distraught upon hearing this. "Em would never do such a thing," she said warily.

"I know, that's why I'm so confused," Robin muttered distractedly.

"Maybe I should try to talk to her," Starfire said resignedly, knocking on the door. "Em!"

"Alright, time to take action," ice whispered. Fire, water and electricity all nodded. Water, electricity and ice got into position, then shot out of their hiding places and plowed straight into time. The four of them tumbled through the air in a confused tangle and splashed into the lake.

Meanwhile, fire took off and came to rest hovering over the center of the lake. "Em, listen to me!" she breathed, closing her eyes. "You have to fight."

In her bedroom, Em heard Starfire knock. She looked up, quite prepared to slam the door on her too, when a sudden shock jolted through her head.

_Em, listen to me! You have to fight._

"Fire?" Em asked dazedly.

"Em!" Starfire shouted again.

"Why isn't she answering?" Robin said worriedly.

Starfire pulled the door open and saw Em running her fingers through her hair, wincing. "Em!" she gasped, rushing to her side.

"NO! She's under my control now!" time shouted, breaking through the surface of the water and tackling fire. Water, electricity and ice surfaced seconds later. They all dove after fire and time.

"Raven!" Em shouted suddenly, scaring Starfire and Robin out of their wits. "Get Raven! RAVEN!"

Robin had barely even made it into the hallway when Raven came running through the door. "Em, what is it? What's happening?!" she asked urgently.

Em seemed to be having trouble breathing. "Time!" she finally gasped. "Time… fangs! Scales! SHE TIPPED THE SCALES! SHE TRICKED WIND! SHE TIPPED THE SCALES!" Em choked for a moment, tears of pain forming in her eyes.

"Em, focus. Stay with me. You have to tell me what's going on!" Raven continued as calmly as she could. Starfire, terrified, found comfort in Robin's arms as they both looked on in confusion and fear.

"Time… fire… beginning and end, good and evil. TWO SIDES OF EVERYTHING!" Em screamed.

"Do you guys understand any of this?" Raven asked Robin and Starfire worriedly. They both shook their heads.

Em sounded more desperate with every word. "The scales, the balance! Wind and earth… both on one side. CAN'T BE ON ONE SIDE!"

"Please make some sense, Em!" Raven urged.

"I… I can't… she's taking over! NO! I'LL NEVER… SHE'S TOO STRONG!" Em's eyes suddenly flashed light blue, and her voice changed. It sounded like Em's ice element. "HELP, RAVEN! WE NEED YOUR HELP! YOU'RE THE ONLY ONE WHO CAN ENTER HER MIND!"

Ice hovered over the lake, dripping wet, sending out a desperate cry for help. Time resurfaced and grabbed ice's ankle. "No way are you going to win this! You don't speak for Em, I DO!" she hissed, dragging ice into the water. In seconds, all five of them were in an all-out brawl.

Time finally repelled them all long enough the shout "Open!" The four good elements looked over and saw four doors fly open. Out stepped earth, light, darkness, and gravity.

"Oh crap…" fire muttered.

"What she said," electricity added.


	79. The Opposite Of Peace Of Mind

**Chapter Seventy-Nine:** The Opposite of Peace of Mind

Time finally reclaimed her position over the lake.

"NO! STAY OUT OF MY MIND!" Em shouted, eyes flashing green. Beast Boy ran into the room, having heard the shouting. What he saw was both confusing and terrifying. Starfire clinging to Robin's chest near the door and Raven on the floor in front of Em, who was screaming and raving like she'd gone insane.

Raven grabbed Em's shoulders. "Em! FOCUS!" she shouted. Em screamed again.

Water knocked time from her position and pushed her back beneath the water.

"THEY'RE OUT! THEY'RE ALL OUT! THE DOORS ARE OPEN!" Em screamed.

Beast Boy raced to Raven's side. "What can I do?" he asked quickly and seriously.

"For now, just stay with me," Raven replied in distress. Beast Boy nodded and moved closer to her side.

"Wind… she won't release wind! THEY NEED WIND! THEY NEED HER! SHE CAN TIP THE SCALES!" Em shouted hysterically.

Fire, ice and electricity were slowly backing further from the shallow shores of the lake and into deeper water. Earth looked apathetic, as usual. Light looked depressed. Darkness looked confused. Gravity looked just plain terrified.

"You guys have to understand, we don't have a choice in this!" light said shrilly, as she and the others started toward the lake.

"I know, it's okay," fire replied comfortingly.

"Okay?! This is not okay! We're about to get thrashed by our roommates! Our friends! Our sisters!" electricity shouted.

Ice looked at earth. "But you have a choice," she said darkly.

Earth didn't show any sign that she had heard her. "The damage is already done," she said simply.

"Wind. We need wind," electricity ranted desperately.

"We can't get to her. There's nothing we can do. It's over," fire replied lightly.

Ice and electricity both rounded on her. "What?!" they both shouted.

Water and time broke the surface of the lake again. Time threw water down into the lake right in front of fire, electricity and ice. She came up quickly.

"Sorry guys," she said tiredly. "I tried."

"Well I guess you tried for no reason, because fire here just gave up!" electricity shrieked.

"NO!" Em shouted, closing her eyes. The tears that had been forming there finally spilled down her cheeks. She hid her face in her hands, shaking. "No… it's not…" she sobbed.

"Em!" Raven didn't know what else to say. Em was slipping. Raven felt tears of her own coming. _Got to be strong,_ she told herself.

Cyborg raced into the room. He stood silently next to Robin and Starfire, watching.

Beast Boy laid a hand on Raven's shoulder. "Do you know how to help her?" he asked softly.

Em parted her fingers and opened her eyes halfway. "Raven…" she said quietly.

"What is it Em?" Raven said quickly, hoping there was something she could do.

"You have to help me…" she whispered. "None of them are talking to me anymore. They're all fighting. They're all fighting with each other. I'm alone."

"You're not alone Em," Raven replied quietly. "We're all here."

"I can't fly anymore," Em whispered even more quietly. "It's all fading out. It's all slipping away."

"Em, hold on. What do I have to do?" Raven asked desperately.

"I can't feel them anymore, Raven," she whispered in terror. "I don't sense them, but they must be there. They're just… detached. That's it, they're just detached…"

"Em, tell me what I have to do!" Raven repeated.

"Now, attack!" time shouted.

"Sorry, girls," gravity said sadly.

"Has anyone thought of what this could be doing to Em right now?" ice said dully, retreating further into the lake.

"Oh I have," time said, smirking. "She's being tortured right now. She thinks we've all abandoned her."

"What?" fire whispered, aghast.

"That's right fire. As soon as you gave up, we all started to slip away from her radar. She thinks she's all alone, and she's losing it," time started laughing.

Fire closed her eyes and froze.

"Fire?" water asked tentatively. Even the four elements ordered to attack had stopped to watch her.

"How does it feel, fire?" time hissed. "How does it feel to know that you destroyed her? To know that she's going mad right now, all because of you?"

"NO!" fire shouted. She jumped into the air, hovering over the water and looking murderous. "No, it is not all because of me. You did this to her. And you're going to pay for it!" Fire took off and tackled time back into the lake with enough force to derail a train.

Earth, light, darkness and gravity all leapt forward to stop her, but water, electricity and ice cut them off. So began the battle in Em's mind.

"Fire?" Em said suddenly, looking up.

"Em, help me out here," Raven pleaded.

"Raven, you have to go into my mind," Em said suddenly, shivering. "You have to get wind." And with that, Em fainted.


	80. The Tasks At Hand

**Chapter Eighty:** The Tasks At Hand

"Beast Boy, I need you to do something for me," Raven said calmly.

"Anything," Beast Boy replied quickly.

"I need you to make sure Em doesn't move," she continued, seeming too calm.

"No problem," he said seriously.

She looked up at him. He was surprised by the look in her eyes. He saw real feeling, real raw emotion like he had never seen there before. She was scared, she was worried, but most of all, she was depending on him.

"And please… be here when I come back," she said quietly.

Before he could respond, she had held a hand over Em's forehead, whispered her mantra, and become very still. She had passed beyond his reach.

"I will…" he muttered.

"Do you… need us to stay here, Beast Boy?" Robin asked quietly.

"No, you guys can go," he replied.

The other three left the room slowly, leaving Beast Boy alone with Raven and Em, who weren't really there.

Raven opened her eyes and gasped. She was at the shores of the lake, but everything was different. The trees were bare, the sky was gray, and Em's elements were all in the lake facing each other down, shouting and tackling each other.

"What… what's happened?" Raven gasped in shock. She turned around and looked at the doors. Nine of them were open, one was shut. Wind's door. Suddenly, Raven understood much of Em's raving. Her elements were fighting, and the only one who could end it was wind, who was locked in her room. Raven didn't understand why, but she knew what she had to do.

Raven raced over to wind's door and yanked on the doorknob. Nothing happened. She pulled harder. Nothing. She walked around behind it and tried opening it from that side. Nothing. She moved back to the front and kicked it. Nothing.

"Didn't really think that would work anyway," she sighed hopelessly. She turned around and watched the other elements for a moment. "They obviously can't use their powers out here in community territory… but maybe I can."

Raven turned back to the door. She placed her hands flat against it. "Azarath… Metrion… Zinthos…" she whispered. The door glowed black, then silver, then black again, then green, and black for a final time. The door opened.

Raven looked inside. She saw and endless field of green grass under a clear blue sky. "Wow…" she whispered in spite of herself as she walked in, leaving the door open just a crack.

"Wind!" she shouted, looking around. "Wind, where are you?"

"Go away!" wind's voice shouted back.

"Wind, it's Raven! I'm here to help you… or something…" Raven replied, still looking around.

"There's nothing you can do. There's nothing anyone can do," wind replied. Raven began following her voice. "It's over. And it's all my fault."

Raven finally found her, sitting with her knees folded up to her chin and her arms wrapped around her legs. Raven crouched down next to her and put a hand on her shoulder.

"Go away!" she shouted again, closing her eyes.

"It isn't over, and it isn't your fault," Raven replied.

Wind looked up at her, revealing that she was crying and had been for quite a while. "Of course it's my fault! Time tricked _me_. _ I_ tipped the scales. _I_ put time in charge. _Me_. It's all _my_ fault," the silver-haired girl cried.

"I can help you," Raven said quietly. "I don't know how, but I can. Em told me that I could help by getting you out of your room. But you have to tell me what all this 'tipping the scales' stuff means."

Wind sniffed a few times and dried her eyes. She sighed and waved her hand over the grass. A set of scales made of silver smoke appeared. "Em's mind is controlled by these scales…"

Wind proceeded to explain the workings of the scales to Raven, who listened intently the whole time.

"So… since time tricked you onto the left side, she was put in control…" Raven muttered thoughtfully.

Wind nodded silently.

"How did she trick you?" Raven asked suddenly.

Wind sniffed again. "She told me that she was the one to trust, not fire. She convinced me that fire wasn't the good one, fire was the evil one. She told me that looks weren't deceiving at all; fire acted evil, so she was evil. And I believed her. I thought I was helping Em by going to time's side, not hurting her."

"You didn't know, it wasn't your fault," Raven said comfortingly.

Wind didn't seem to believe her, but she smiled anyway. "So, what do we do now?"

Raven thought for a moment. "I guess we just go out there and do what we can," Raven replied. They both stood up and began walking toward the door.

Robin, Starfire and Cyborg were all sitting in the main room. They didn't know what to do. Starfire was huddled in Robin's arms, shivering. Cyborg was pacing back and forth in front of the windows.

"I'm scared, Robin," Starfire finally whispered.

Robin hugged her a little more tightly. "It's going to be okay, Starfire," he replied quietly.

"Yeah," Cyborg sighed, sitting down at the end of the couch. "Rae will help her, Star. Don't worry."


	81. The Simplicity Of Balance

**Chapter Eighty-One:** The Simplicity of Balance

Time finally broke free of fire long enough to look down upon the scene below her with a smile. Chaos. Perfect. But something made her smile falter slightly.

"Girls!"

Time looked up. She knew that voice. Wind. The silver-eyed element was racing toward the lake, and there was someone else close behind her. Blue cloak, violet eyes, of course. Raven. If that goth hadn't intervened, things would still be fine. Em would be walking further down her path to destruction, and time wouldn't have to stress herself out so much.

"Oh no you don't…" time muttered, taking off at high speed.

"Girls, what are you-?!" wind didn't finish her question, because a certain green-cloaked someone had just plowed straight into her and Raven, causing all three of them to crash painfully to the ground.

Beast Boy sat loyally at Em's side, directly across from Raven. He looked at Raven thoughtfully. Lately he had noticed that when he was around her, he felt different. His heart usually skipped a beat when she entered a room, and his pulse quickened when she smiled at him. But now that she was sitting there, eyes closed, completely still, he realized how beautiful she really was. He had always known, but not really taken notice of it until now. She wasn't like Starfire and Em. She held a kind of beauty that was rare and much more enchanting; in his eyes anyway.

Beast Boy was snapped from his trance when Raven moved. She clenched her teeth and her eyes closed more tightly as she took a sharp breath. Em groaned. Beast Boy looked down at her and saw that the same odd change had come over her. Whatever was happening in Em's mind, it definitely wasn't good.

Fire blasted after time and grabbed her by the cloak before she had disentangled herself from Raven and wind. The red-head dragged time out of the confused tangle and pinned her face-down to the ground, twisting her arms behind her back and sitting on her.

"Gee, where have I seen this before?" fire mused as time struggled. Raven and wind got up and helped to hold her down. "Ah yes, the Factor incident."

Fire leaned back slightly as though recalling a fond memory but really just shifting her weight more heavily on time's back. "You know, she wasn't actually evil. But I can't say the same for you," fire continued darkly.

"Quandary," time grumbled.

"I do believe wind has something to say," fire said lightly, looking over at wind.

Wind nodded. "I'm going back to the other side, and there's nothing you can do about it," she said bravely.

"Do you even know how?" time said with a derisive laugh.

"Yes, I do," wind replied boldly. "You're the one who taught me, remember? How else could I have stepped over to the dark side of the scale?"

"But… I thought your memory was wiped when you got locked into your room!" time stammered, not sounding so haughty anymore. "It worked on earth well enough."

"She didn't forget, she just doesn't care enough to remember," fire said with a smirk.

"Your control has just been denied," Raven added, also smirking.

"I'm not finished with you. You might have beaten me this time, but next time you won't be so lucky! You can't just forget about me!" time shouted angrily.

"Cut the clichés, Green. You're finished," electricity said as she and the other soaking-wet elements walked onto dry land.

Wind closed her eyes, smiling. She began to glow faintly. The world around them suddenly began to change. Grass grew up beneath their feet and leaves budded and turned red before their eyes as though they were watching springtime on fast-forward. The sky cleared to sunlit blue and the lake sparkled again.

Wind opened her eyes and sighed. "Perfect," she said, smiling.

"Crap…" time muttered crossly. The doors all opened, and one by one the elements returned to their realms until all that remained were fire and Raven. They both stood up.

"Well, I guess I owe you one," fire said with a smile.

"It's no big deal," Raven replied.

"Not bad for a second trip, eh?" fire laughed, waving a little as she went into her room and closed the door.

Raven opened her eyes and blinked a few times. Beast Boy was still sitting across from her, and he looked like he had fallen asleep. She sighed and sat back slightly, taking her hand away from Em's forehead.

Beast Boy's eyes snapped open when he heard her sigh. "Raven!" he gasped in relief. He launched himself over Em (still lying perfectly still on the ground) and hugged the empath tightly. Needless to say, she was kind of surprised.

"Beast Boy-"

"I was so worried about you- I mean both of you!" he recovered quickly as he pulled back. "You were both shuddering and groaning and I thought you were getting tortured or something!"

Raven smiled a little in spite of herself. "Em's going to be okay," she said, looking over at her friend. "…If she ever wakes up."

"What about you?" Beast Boy said quietly, placing a gentle hand on her shoulder. "Are you going to be okay?"

Raven became suddenly aware of how close they still were and blushed. She opened her mouth to reply, but nothing came out. She gulped, trying to control herself and prevent anything from spontaneously combusting.

"Raven?" Beast Boy repeated.

"I… um…" Raven stammered quietly. He seemed to be leaning toward her. Her brain told her to lean back, but she leaned a little closer instead.

"Could someone stop the room please? I'd like to get off…" Em suddenly mumbled stupidly, finally waking up and bringing a hand to her forehead.

Raven and Beast Boy jumped away from each other quickly, blushing.

Em sat up drowsily, fortunately missing their strange behavior. "Next time you want me to feel like I got hit by a truck, just push me in front of a bus or something instead of messing with my head. My brain is under enough stress already…" she said crankily, rubbing her head.

Raven and Beast Boy laughed. Em was definitely back to normal. _But there's something here that isn't, _Raven thought, glancing at Beast Boy and feeling her heartbeat quicken.


	82. Asia At Its Americanyest

**Chapter Eighty-Two:** Asia at its American-y-est

The door of the main room opened. Everyone looked over. Em stood in the doorway, yawning widely.

"Morning," she said tiredly.

"Um… how're you feeling?" Beast Boy asked tentatively.

"Like I got run over by a bloody train, why?" Em grumbled.

The Titans smiled. Oh yeah, she was definitely okay.

"Want some breakfast?" Cyborg asked brightly.

Em perked up immediately. "Are you kidding? I'm starving!" She was sitting at the table in seconds, digging in with the rest. "Time must be a vampire; how else could she go a week without eating?"

"Hey Em, it's your Friday to pick where we go out to eat tonight," Robin remembered suddenly.

"I know, and boy do I have plans! We're staying home tonight," she said between mouthfuls.

Everyone looked at her curiously. "Staying home?" Raven questioned.

Em nodded, smiling mysteriously. "I'll be making dinner. Besides, who among you would pass up a stay home movie night?" she continued imperiously.

That evening, the Titans walked into the kitchen to find the table covered in dishes they'd never seen before.

"It's a Japanese smorgasbord!" Em said excitedly. "These are sushi (California rolls) and there's wasabi and soy sauce for that, and that's yokusabi, and that's curry rice, and there's sticky rice, and misoshiru and ocha- I mean miso soup and green tea…" she went on and on explaining the dishes. Luckily for Beast Boy, Em had left meat out of all of the recipes that asked for it.

Raven, Robin and Starfire were the only ones brave enough to use chopsticks. Cyborg and Beast Boy were too hungry to waste time and used forks.

"So, I get the feeling you liked Japan," Raven commented.

"Oh I loved Japan! It was definitely the best place I visited when… well, you know," Em replied, ending rather uncomfortably.

"Hey, you never told us about your trip," Robin said suddenly. "Now's as good a time as ever!"

Em smiled. "Well, first I went back to the town I grew up in…"

"Kyoto was just beautiful! It was so… peaceful," Em had been explaining her travels for quite a while. Dinner was long finished. "But I'm definitely glad I came home."

"Wow… I've always wanted to go to Rome, see Vatican City…" Raven stated rather wistfully. "And the Louvre! I could stay there for months and it wouldn't be enough…"

"France and Greece sound lovely," Starfire sighed.

"Well I wanna go to Spain and start a bull revolt!" Beast Boy said boldly.

"I wanna go to Spain and see you get your little green butt kicked," Cyborg replied.

"Sounds to me like we need a vacation," Robin said with a sigh.

"You don't just need it, you deserve it!" Em said. "Why not take a break? Call in the honorary Titans to hold down the fort while you're gone?"

"What do you mean while 'we're' gone?" Cyborg cut in.

"Yeah! You'd come too!" Beast Boy added.

"Really?" Em asked.

"Of course. I think it's a great idea. I'll send out a call and we'll pack our bags," Robin said, standing up. "Titans, we're going on vacation!"


	83. Titans Abroad

**Chapter Eighty-Three:** Titans Abroad

"Ack, I hate flying," Em said loudly as she stared out the tiny window of the passenger airplane. She turned to her teammates and smiled as they all burst out laughing.

"I know what you mean," Cyborg grumbled. "These seats are definitely not robot-sized…"

"Come on, Robin and Starfire seem comfortable enough," Em replied, smirking at the kissing couple.

"Oh man, we don't have to watch that the whole way there do we?" Beast Boy burst out.

Robin and Starfire jerked apart, blushing madly. Raven just smirked behind her book.

"Yeah, save it for Paris!" Cyborg added as he struggled with his chair.

Em sighed. "Boys…" she grumbled. Raven nodded in consent.

Beast Boy suddenly started singing 'On an Evening in Roma' at the top of his lungs, and the other passengers started to get annoyed.

"Dude, Beast Boy, shut up!" Cyborg hissed.

"Yeah, pipe down. We're going to Spain first anyway," Em snapped.

"I know! Rome is _in_ Spain, duh!" he replied.

Cyborg smacked a hand to his forehead, Robin and Starfire stifled their laughter, and Em turned to Raven, biting her lip to stop from laughing as well.

Raven had closed her eyes. "I'm not even going to say it…" she muttered through clenched teeth.

Em smiled and turned back to the window. They were descending now. A tour of southern Europe sounded absolutely perfect about now.

"Wait! No! We can't leave! I haven't liberated all the bulls yet!" Beast Boy shouted as Raven dragged him onto the plane.

"If you really wanted to liberate all the bulls, you would have done so in the month we were here instead of asking every third person you saw whether they had cheese in their pants," Raven replied exasperatedly as they sat down next to each other.

"Well, you'd say it too if it was the only thing you could say in Spanish," Beast Boy replied indignantly, rounding on her.

"No, I wouldn't, I'd at least try to learn more-" Raven stopped. She turned sharply on him, bringing them within inches of each other. They both blushed and quickly faced forward, staring silently at the backs of the seats in front of theirs.

"I'm guessing you want me to pretend I didn't see that…" Em said quietly as she walked past their seats and sat down behind Raven.

"I'll talk to you when my heart stops beating so fast…" Raven muttered back.

Em smiled. "Don't worry; there'll be plenty of time and space to talk. We're about to take off and the plane's practically empty." Then, when Cyborg had taken his seat next to Beast Boy and Robin and Starfire had found their places beside Em, Em quickly got the attention of her friends. "Ah, France. How I loved France!" she began loudly and dramatically with a hint of a French accent. "Spain didn't appeal to me much the first time, or this time for that matter, but France! Oh, to see Paris again will be nice… The City of Lights! With the Eiffel Tower all lit up at night, and the Arc de Triomphe… isn't actually that exciting…" she admitted. Robin and Raven smiled, Starfire giggled, and Cyborg and Beast Boy pretended to fall asleep. But Em pressed on. "There is, of course, the Louvre, which I simply adored! And Luxembourg Garden, and the home of Claude Monet, both of which are beautiful…"

She rambled on for quite a while, and their plane was just finishing its incline when she finished.

"Well, now we don't actually have to go. Thanks," Robin said with a sly smile.

"I believe you mean 'merci'," Em corrected. They all started laughing again. Then the seatbelt light switched off. Em unbuckled quickly. Everyone stood except Cyborg and Beast Boy, who were busy arm-wrestling (one can guess who was winning). Em and Raven sat down again in the back by a window.

"So, he makes you kind of nervous, eh?" Em said quietly, smiling.

Raven sighed and nodded.

"Well it seems as though you're flustering him too. His reaction was identical," Em said helpfully.

"I can't do this anymore," Raven suddenly said, sounding frustrated.

"What do you mean?" Em asked, immediately concerned.

"I can't play this… this game with him anymore," she continued, the stress showing clearly. "I feel like he's toying with me, but if that's true, then he must feel like I'm toying with him, and I'd never want to do that to him."

"Raven, come on, we're on vacation. Relax. I know how you feel," Em said comfortingly. "Well, partially. I know how it feels to be played. Jase did it to me when he was Red X. But Beast Boy isn't trying to mess with you. He's just as scared as you are. Now, if you want to talk to someone about playing games, talk to Starfire. She and Robin were playing constant cat and mouse for almost two years, remember?"

"I know…" Raven sighed again. "No offense, but I'm not looking for sympathy, or empathy for that matter. I just want to know if this will ever go anywhere."

"Do you have reason to believe it will?" Em asked lightly. She knew there were things that had happened between Raven and Beast Boy that she didn't know about, but she didn't want to press the matter.

"Well… I never told you this, but after you came back and Terra left, we kind of…" Raven began awkwardly.

"Um, yeah, about that… I know," Em said quickly with a nervous laugh. "I sort of saw…"

Raven sighed in relief. "Good… I'm glad that's off my chest," she whispered. Em smiled. Raven had changed a lot since Em had first met the Titans. She wondered vaguely whether it had anything to do with her meeting them in the first place. She smiled at the thought.

"But it didn't really mean anything," Raven continued. "We were both kind of emotional and we got caught up in the moment…"

"But it felt… nice… didn't it?" Em didn't say it like it was a question.

Raven nodded, smiling the smallest bit. "This one you don't know about though," Raven began. "It almost happened again."

"Really? When?" Em asked excitedly.

"The day I helped free your mind from time."

"Wow, pretty recently then, huh? What happened?"

"Well… before I went in, Beast Boy came and said he'd do anything to help me…" Raven paused for a moment, blushing. "And I asked him to… stay with me… and then when I went into your mind I asked him to just be there when I came back. And… he was."

Raven was by then refusing to look up at Em. She was blushing so much Em was surprised the plane hadn't exploded.

"And he hugged me and told me he had been worried about me, and he asked me if I was okay. But I didn't say anything… I mean I couldn't. It was like I had shut down. And then he was leaning toward me, and I was getting closer to him, and then…"

"And then?" Em urged when Raven trailed off.

"And then you woke up."

"Crap!" Em burst out angrily. "Why didn't you just… knock me out or something?! I'd understand!"

Raven smiled. "I'm glad I talked to you. You have a way with cheering me up," she said, laughing slightly.


	84. The City Of Lights

**Chapter Eighty-Four:** The City of Lights

France was much more of an adventure for the Titans than Spain had been. Em was a much more passionate tour guide there, for one. She took them all around, from Annonay to Voiron and everywhere in between. Everyone thoroughly enjoyed Giverny, but the highlight of their stay was Paris.

They checked into their hotel in the morning. The setup had been the same everywhere they stayed: three rooms, one for Cyborg and Beast Boy, one for Em and Raven, and one for Robin and Starfire. After breakfast, they all went their separate ways. The girls decided on a tour of the Louvre, and the boys just wandered off.

"So, Star, is Robin treating you okay?" Em asked sarcastically as they walked through the hallowed halls of the Louvre. Raven smirked as she looked at all the works of art on the walls around her.

"More than okay," Starfire sighed dreamily.

Em smirked too. "You guys sure have the fairytale romance down," she said as she began to take in the culture. Starfire smiled.

"Here it is, the Eiffel Tower!" Em shouted excitedly as night fell over the City of Lights.

"No kidding, we've been staring at it all day," Cyborg said grumpily. The pigeons had taken to him as a target.

"Come on, Cy. It should be a great view from the top!" Robin said, seeming nearly as enthusiastic about it as Em. Nearly.

"Raven?"

Raven glanced away from the dusky Paris skyline. The others had continued toward the top, but Raven had stopped on the way there for some alone time with Paris. Beast Boy had started wondering about her. He walked up next to her and leaned against the railing, looking out at her view.

"I get the feeling you like Paris," he said quietly with a smile.

"Yeah…" Raven replied, unable to take her eyes away from him.

"I have to tell you something," he said, looking straight back.

"What?" Raven replied, feeling her pulse getting quicker and quicker.

"Back on New Year's Eve, I was acting weird all day because…" he trailed off, blushing. "Because I was deciding whether or not I was going to kiss you at midnight."

Raven stared at him, blush creeping into her cheeks as well. "What?" she repeated. Her eyes widened slightly when he took a step toward her. She found herself wishing that he had decided to kiss her. She shook the thought from her head.

"But I didn't," Beast Boy finished, still moving closer. "And I want to make up for it."

Raven's brain slowed to a stop. She was holding the railing for support. He placed his hand over hers. She blushed even more. His other hand brushed against her cheek and she felt every shred of control she had slip away. She wanted this. She needed this. So regardless of whether it was right or not, she was going to have it. They both leaned forward and she closed her eyes. Then, she felt it. Even though she had kissed him once before, this was different. This was perfect. The blush receded, her heartbeat slowed back to normal. She relaxed. He relaxed. Perfect.

Meanwhile, the rest of the Titans had reached the top and were looking out over Paris in awe. Except for Cyborg, who was still in a bad mood.

"Why is this so exciting?! All I can see is more pigeons!" he said grumpily, waving his arms wildly to scare off the pigeons, which, for the record, wasn't working.

Em sighed in annoyance. "Fine! I'll take you back to the hotel as long as you shut up," she grumbled, grabbing his hands and taking off. "We'll see you guys later," she added to Robin and Starfire.

"Looks like it's just us," Robin commented, smiling at Starfire.

"Oh Robin, this place is so beautiful!" she said softly, staring around her with her eyes shining.

"Kind of chilly though, don't you think?" he asked lightly, wrapping his arms around her waist from behind and placing his chin on her shoulder so their cheeks were pressed together.

Starfire giggled. "I did not think it was chilly, but I will not complain," she said quietly.

So there they were, two couples on the Eiffel Tower, watching the sun sink below the horizon. And then there was Em, dragging a complaining Cyborg back to the hotel. Okay, so not everything in Paris was glamorous.


	85. An Evening In Roma

I'd like to take a second to thank all the reviewers. SST has attracted some new fans, which came as a surprise to me.

There have also been questions as to how long SST is altogether. Since, as said in the beginning, the story is already finished and has been for some time, I am able to tell you that it is 155 chapters long. So as of now, there are 70 chapters left. I doesn't get much better, in all honesty, so if you don't like it now, stop reading.

Cheers,

BW

* * *

**Chapter Eighty-Five:** An Evening in Roma

After France, it was off to Italy. The Titans were running out of vacation time, so they stopped in Venice for a little while before heading straight to Rome. It had been raining all over the Mediterranean ever since they had left Paris, so as they walked through the streets of Rome it was pouring. Em burst into song after walking around for about an hour.

"I'm singin' in the rain! Just singin' in the rain! What a glorious feeling, I'm happy again!" she sang loudly, causing the occasional passerby to stare. The Titans let her sing, partly because she was actually a half-decent singer. She wasn't exactly great, but she wasn't as bad as Beast Boy. She danced through puddles and seemed to be altogether enjoying being soaked through. Her spirit even rubbed off on Cyborg a little, who hated the rain as much as he hated pigeons.

Nobody noticed the fact that Raven and Beast Boy were walking right next to each other, talking in low voices and smiling often. Raven hadn't even bothered to put up a telekinetic shield to block out the rain.

"I love Vatican City! I could go a million times and it wouldn't be enough," Em said dreamily as they stepped back onto the streets of Rome, the rain still pounding on their shoulders.

"Indeed, the artwork and architecture were stunning!" Starfire added, just as excited. They all stopped a moment and looked around. The streets were completely deserted because of the rain. Starfire shivered involuntarily. Robin placed his cape on her shoulders. She smiled appreciatively.

"Maybe we should find some shelter from the rain," he suggested.

"Let's just head back to the hotel. I know how to get there from the sky," Em said, grabbing Cyborg's shoulders and lifting off.

"Gah! You've gotta tell me before you do that!" he shouted crossly.

"Sorry!" Em replied with a sheepish smile.

Starfire took Robin's hand and lifted off, while Beast Boy turned into a raven. Raven noticed and smiled, also lifting into the air. Em happened to notice as well. She smiled too.

_Obvious much?_ fire snorted in Em's head.

_Adorable much?_ gravity sighed wistfully in reply.

Em rolled her eyes. _Schizophrenic much?_ she thought dully, watching Raven and Beast Boy out of the corner of her eye.

"Well, at least the hotels in Rome are nicer than the ones in Madrid," Cyborg commented.

"Thanks for that, Naggy McWhinerson," Em replied, putting him down at the entrance of the hotel.

"Hey, I do not nag or whine!" Cyborg complained loudly as Robin and Starfire stifled their laughter.

"You forgot complain," Raven added as she and Beast Boy walked through the door.

Cyborg stomped off to his room, grumbling.

"Oops," Em said, with another sheepish grin. The rest of the Titans made their ways to their rooms as well. Raven and Em had barely closed the door before they heard knocking. Raven opened the door back up and found Beast Boy standing there.

"Cyborg locked me out. Mind if I hang in here a while?" he asked hopefully.

Raven looked at Em.

"I was actually just stepping out," Em said quickly. "You're free to stay in here as long as you want." She walked out the door past Beast Boy, smirking.

Beast Boy walked in and Em closed the door behind her. She stopped and looked around the hallway. "Crap. Now where do I go?" she muttered. She shrugged and lifted off the ground, finding it pointless to walk around and deciding instead to float around.

Beast Boy and Raven both sat down on Em's bed, talking quietly. Then, suddenly, Raven sighed. "Beast Boy, what are we doing?" she asked, sounding slightly depressed.

"What do you mean?" Beast Boy replied, concerned.

"Is this one of those things that only happens on vacation, so when we go home everything will be back to normal?" she continued. "Or is this… real?"

"I'd like it to be real," Beast Boy replied. "But if you need more time…"

"No, I want it too," Raven said quickly. "I mean, I can't close myself off forever because of Malchior."

Beast Boy looked suddenly apprehensive at the mention of Malchior. "Raven, I swear I will never hurt you like he did," he said quietly. "I want to make this work between us."

Raven smiled, looking down. "Thank you," she replied in barely more than a whisper. Then she looked back up. "Do you… think we should tell the others?"

"Well, Em probably figured it out already," Beast Boy said frankly. Raven smiled. He had a point. "But… let's wait a little while."

Raven nodded. "I was hoping you'd say that," she said.

An overwhelming desire to kiss Raven came over Beast Boy. He moved closer to her. Raven got the hint. They both leaned in slowly, both pausing for split seconds occasionally to make sure the other was still moving closer. Their lips finally met, but two seconds later the door banged open.

"Hey Beast Boy, you can come back in…" Cyborg trailed off upon seeing Raven and Beast Boy kissing. His jaw dropped. Raven pulled away quickly, blushing. The TV suddenly glowed black and the screen cracked. Beast Boy blushed as well, placing a hand over Raven's to help calm her down.

"Well I've gotta say, I wasn't expecting that!" Cyborg said, laughing. "I was going to tell Beast Boy that he could come back to our room, but I'm guessing you two will be fine in here." He left the room in high spirits.

Raven and Beast Boy looked at each other, still blushing. They both smiled.


	86. Speeding Up

**Chapter Eighty-Six:** Speeding Up

Em wandered down to the lobby of the hotel. It was pretty late, and the clerk at the desk had fallen asleep. Em smiled a little at the sight. The room was quiet except for the rain. But a voice broke the peace.

"Hey there, Em."

Em stood up straighter. Someone had come up behind her, and she hadn't noticed. The voice was vaguely familiar. It was a boy, but it wasn't Robin or Cyborg. She turned around.

"Speedy?" she said warily, confused beyond all reason.

"Yeah, who did you think I was?" he replied, smiling.

"What are you doing here?" Em asked, bewildered. The Titans hadn't been able to get in contact with him, so he was the only honorary Titan who wasn't at the Tower, apart from Jase.

"I went to the Tower, and the others were there and said you guys had all gone on vacation, so I came to see you," he replied.

"To see me?" Em repeated cautiously.

"Yeah, why's that so weird?" he took a step toward her.

Em took a step back, maintaining her distance. "Well, for one, you came all the way to Rome just to say hi," she stammered, still backing up as he came closer. "Which is weird on its own."

Em realized quite suddenly that he had backed her into a wall. She gulped.

"Come on, you know perfectly well that I didn't just come to say hello," he replied, smirking. "You know you want more than that."

Em stared at him. "What are you talking about? I have a boyfriend!" she said, anger rising in her voice.

"If you wanted me to back off, you'd have thrown me off before I had pinned you against a wall," he pointed out, now far too close for comfort.

"I don't want to injure you," she replied, trying to back further against the wall. "But if you get any closer I swear I will."

At that point, he grabbed the back of her head and kissed her. Her eyes widened and she tried to pull away, but that was made difficult by the fact that she was backed into a wall. She shuddered when she felt his tongue against her lips. Finally, she stomped on his foot and he jumped backward. She took a few gasping breaths and wiped her lips on the back of her hand.

"What's wrong with you?!" she shouted, moving quickly away from the wall.

He pulled out his bow. "I guess we have to do this the hard way," he growled, placing an arrow on the string.

Em stared at him, horrified. This was not Speedy. There was something wrong with him. Then she saw it. His masked eyes briefly glowed red, the same way her own eyes had glowed when she had been under Slade's mind control.

Em gasped. "You…" she began faintly. He shot an arrow at her. She just managed to get out of the way. The arrow hit the wall where she had been only seconds before. Em tackled him to the ground before the smoke could clear.

"Get off!" he growled, trying to throw her off as she pinned him to the ground. She grabbed the collar of his shirt and pulled. Sure enough, beneath the neck of his shirt was a silver choker just like the one Em had worn. She reached forward to get rid of it, but somebody else grabbed her wrists and wrenched her arms around her back.

"Come on, Em. Quit fighting. You're going to lose anyway," a familiar voice said.

Em gulped again. "Terra…" she whispered, turning her head. Sure enough, her blond friend was holding her arms behind her back while Speedy stood up. He didn't look too happy either.

"You could have made this easier for yourself," he said, his voice sounding dull and unfeeling, just like-

"Slade…" Em breathed.

Speedy elbowed her in the stomach. She doubled over and her knees hit the ground as she coughed, trying to regain her breath. Terra was still holding her arms.

"Guys," Em started desperately. "I was under Slade's control once. You can get out of this. You can resist him."

"Oh, it's far too late for that," Terra replied, smirking.

"I'm sorry to hear that," Em growled, closing her eyes. Her hair and cloak turned bright red. She wrenched her arms out of Terra's grasp and hurled a fireball through the ceiling.

"Ciao," she said, smirking, as she took off through the hole in the ceiling.

"After her!" Speedy shouted. Bumblebee, Aqualad, Wildebeest, and Hot Spot stepped from the shadows. The four of them, plus Terra and Speedy, split up in various directions, each one leading them to the second floor, and the Titans' rooms.


	87. The Tendency Of Triangles

**Chapter Eighty-Seven:** The Tendency of Triangles

As soon as Em reached the second floor, she switched back to her normal element. She looked around. She seemed to have blasted through the floor of the janitor's closet. She opened the door a crack and looked out. Speedy and Terra hadn't gotten upstairs yet. So, she jetted straight across the hall into what turned out to be Robin and Starfire's room.

The fact that Starfire was curled up in Robin's arms as they watched a movie didn't phase Em, freaked out as she was. "He… downstairs! Backed me into a wall and… he attacked me!" she paused, eyes widening in horror and revulsion as though realizing the following fact for the first time. "He _kissed_ me!"

Robin and Starfire had jumped to their feet the moment Em had slammed the door behind her. "Who?" they asked urgently in unison.

"Speedy!"

They both looked thunderstruck. "He attacked you?" Robin repeated.

"He _kissed_ you?" Starfire gasped.

"Terra's here too!" Em continued nervously. The entire situation was too crazy for her to grasp. "She helped him!"

Robin stopped. "Attack you or…?"

"Yes, attack me!" Em replied angrily, repulsed that he would even think such a thing.

"Why would they-" Starfire began, but Em cut her off.

"Slade! He has them under mind control! I saw the collars," she continued fervently.

Robin's eyes narrowed immediately. His whole body tensed. Starfire placed a hand on his shoulder.

"Robin…" she whispered warily.

Em, on the other hand, wasn't in such a sensitive mood. She marched up to Robin and grabbed his shoulders, staring straight into his masked eyes. "This is no time to go insane!" she said fiercely, giving his shoulders a little shake with every word for emphasis.

Starfire smiled weakly. Em… one of a kind; that was for sure.

Robin opened his mouth to scathingly reply when the door was blown off its hinges. When the smoke cleared, Bumblebee, Hot Spot, Aqualad and Speedy stood on the threshold, all of their eyes flashing red.

"Gee, you didn't mention the fact that _all_ of them were here!" Robin hissed.

"Okay, so things are a little worse than I had thought," Em replied, backing slowly away from the door.

Things weren't so great for Cyborg either. He didn't get any warning. Wildebeest just plowed straight through the door and smashed him into the ground. Not the best way to start the evening.

Beast Boy and Raven hadn't caught wind of the commotion. They were sort of busy. So they were a little surprised when the door burst open, revealing a thin blond girl with glowing red eyes. However, at the sight of Raven and Beast Boy sitting on Em's bed in each other's arms, she faltered. Raven and Beast Boy jerked apart and jumped to their feet.

"Wha… Beast Boy?" Terra muttered in confusion as the mind control began to lose its grip. Just like with Em, powerful memories were taking over in the control's place.

"Terra?" Beast Boy wondered quietly, sounding distressed (not to mention shocked and confused). Raven sighed and stared at the floor. She should have known it was too good to last. She took a step back automatically, receding toward the shadows she had become so used to living in. It was second nature to her now.

But then, she stopped moving backwards. Someone had taken her hand. She looked up and saw Beast Boy's hand in hers. But that didn't make any sense. If he didn't care about her, why would he hold her hand?

"Raven… you and-?" Terra brought a hand to her forehead, squeezing her eyes shut. She seemed to be having difficulty standing, so she leaned against the door frame.

Raven was still looking at Beast Boy with veiled curiosity. He understood her questioning gaze and looked straight into her shadowed eyes.

"I promised that I'd never break your heart," he said quietly. "I chose you. And I don't regret it."

Raven's eyes widened considerably. A new and amazing concept had just presented itself to her. Some things were possible. Not everything had to end in heartbreak. She could actually trust someone with her heart. It seemed very strange to her.

Unfortunately, they hadn't realized that Terra was under mind control. And, as Em had proven, anger gave the mind control a firmer grip on the mind. In other words, big trouble. Terra's eyes glowed red and she leapt forward, tackling Raven to the floor. Needless to say, they realized something was wrong at that point.


	88. Chaos In The Clash

**Chapter Eighty-Eight:** Chaos in the Clash

Cyborg's arm beeped. He dodged another one of Wildebeest's mad charges and fired his sonic cannon. Being smashed into the wall by the projectile distracted the behemoth Titan long enough for Cyborg to answer the call. Robin appeared on the screen, along with the sounds and images of a battle going on behind him.

"I assume you've realized that we're having a problem," Robin grumbled, ducking under an arrow and disappearing from the screen for a moment.

"Yeah, Wildebeest paid me a visit. He caught me off guard, but he's no match for me," Cyborg replied, watching Wildebeest warily.

"Control collars. Start booting up your pulse generator and set it to the wavelength Slade's using; I'm guessing you traced it already," Robin continued.

"Yep. I've got the signature. I'll set it right away. These collars are gonna be ancient history in approximately ten minutes," Cyborg finished, cutting off the transmission as Wildebeest got up and lunged at him.

Robin flipped his communicator shut. "So what's the story?" Em shouted, dodging under Bumblebee as she flew at her, grabbing her by the arm, and flinging her into a wall. "Sorry, Bee!" she added.

"Cyborg's charging up the pulse. He should be able to short out the collars in about ten minutes," Robin replied after drop-kicking Aqualad.

"Oh I wish it would not take so long!" Starfire burst out in frustration, not exactly enjoying attacking her friends.

Meanwhile, somewhere in Jump City miles and miles away, Slade was sitting before a wall of monitors. "Speedy, Bumblebee, get Emily out of the room," he said. "Hot Spot and Aqualad, keep Robin and his little girlfriend there."

"What the- ack!" Em was caught by surprise when Speedy and Bumblebee both tackled her through the doorway. The three of them crashed through the hallway floor.

"Em!" Starfire gasped, making for the door. But Aqualad jumped in front of the door and swung a kick at her, which she just managed to dodge.

"Now, Hot Spot, set off the fire sprinklers. Then I want all of you to block the door. We need Robin and the girl to get thoroughly soaked," Slade continued calmly.

Hot Spot looked up at the sprinklers. He blasted flames at one of them and they immediately went off. But oddly, they only went off in Robin and Starfire's room. Aqualad and Hot Spot stepped out the doorway and picked the door up off of the floor, holding it in place.

Em was locked in a furious battle against Speedy and Bumblebee, so she couldn't help them. Robin and Starfire, dripping wet after half a minute, were both pounding on the door. Normally, beating down a broken door would have been easy, but Aqualad was blasting water at it from the other side, equaling their force and keeping it in place.

Robin wiped water from his eyes. "Ugh, does this water seem weird to you?" he asked, looking up at the sprinklers.

Starfire gingerly sniffed the air. "It does seem to be giving off a strange smell…" she admitted warily. They both looked at the puddles gathering on the floor, trying to discern anything odd about the water. Suddenly, electricity burst from the crack above the door and laced across the ceiling, shutting off the sprinklers one by one. In seconds, they were all off. The door fell in with a splash. Robin and Starfire looked curiously into the hallway.

Speedy, Bumblebee, Aqualad and Hot Spot were laying on the ground, unconscious. Em was hovering up near the ceiling in her electric element, both hands flat against the small space of wall above their doorway. She dropped to the floor in front of them.

"Apparently, Cyborg activated the pulse generator," she said, smiling. Then she stopped, sniffing them and wrinkling her nose. "You two smell weird," she said bluntly.

"Thanks," Robin replied shortly.

"Glad to help!" Em added brightly.

Cyborg walked up the stairs. "You know, I'll never get over how weird it is to walk up the stairs even though I didn't walk down 'em," he said.

"Yeah, I noticed the Cyborg-shaped hole in the floor and wondered where you ended up," Em said, her yellow eyes flashing with silent laughter.

"Wait, where are Raven and Beast Boy?" Starfire asked.

"Last time I saw them, they were-" Cyborg began, grinning, but Em stopped him with a look. "Uh, they were talking, in Em and Raven's room." Robin and Starfire walked over to the door. Em came up next to Cyborg.

"Let them tell when they're ready," she whispered. Cyborg nodded and the two of them walked over behind Robin and Starfire, looking curiously into the room.

Terra was lying unconscious on the floor. Beast Boy was helping Raven sit up against the wall beneath the window. "I'd hoped she'd take it better than that," Beast Boy joked quietly. Raven looked at him in a way that clearly said 'Sorry, but now is not the time.'

Em was next to them in seconds. "What happened?" she asked quickly, changing back to her normal element before electricity had a spaz attack.

"Terra kind of caught me by surprise…" Raven muttered, holding her hand over her ankle. Her hand glowed blue briefly and she exhaled slowly, closing her eyes. Beast Boy helped her stand up. Em was looking around the room bemusedly.

"Well, a fine mess we've made of this hotel," she commented.


	89. Not Your Average Slade Plot

**Chapter Eighty-Nine:** Not Your Average Slade Plot

"Never thought I'd say this, but it's good to be home," Cyborg said happily as he burst through the doors of Titans' Tower. They needed to cut their vacation short, considering the circumstances. They had come straight home after making sure the honorary Titans all got home safely.

"Oddly enough, I have to agree," Em admitted rather morosely.

"Hate to say this, but rest up while you can. Slade attacked again, and even though we stopped him, there must be something else going on here," Robin said with a sigh. "I'm going to review the security tapes from the hotel. Apparently, they have cameras in the rooms which are always on, but they only watch them if they need them for evidence."

"Always on? Talk about an invasion of privacy…" Em said, shuddering. Then, she thought of something. "Hey, Robin, I'll look over those for you. You need a rest." If Robin watched the tape, he would see Beast Boy and Raven together, and Em didn't want their relationship to be struck down so quickly just because they weren't ready to tell the others.

Robin looked at her suspiciously. She smiled innocently. Starfire tugged on his arm. "Come Robin, let her look over them! Do you not want a rest?" she asked with a smile. He gave Em one last curious glance before handing her the disk.

"Don't worry, I'll keep an eye out for anything remotely evil, apart from our friends attacking us," she said boldly. Then, she saluted and dashed to the main room.

"I've said it before and I'll say it again: I always knew she was weird," Cyborg said as he walked off to his room.

Twenty minutes later, Em sat alone in the main room, three of the screens running. Each one showed one of their rooms at the hotel. She winced when she saw Wildebeest plow Cyborg through the floor.

_Ouch_, fire mused from inside her head.

Em turned her eyes to the screen showing Robin and Starfire's room. She herself had burst in shortly before and was briskly shaking Robin by his shoulders. The door blew in and the battle began. Em had to admit, it looked much more painful than it really was.

Finally, she turned her attention to Beast Boy and Raven. As she had expected, they were sitting on Em's bed kissing. The door burst open and Terra froze in the doorway. Em watched Raven's behavior curiously. Then she took note of Beast Boy's reaction. But she paid the most attention to Terra, who was standing in the doorway looking terribly confused.

Em practically gasped when Terra leapt across the room and tackled Raven, smashing her into the wall before they both fell to the floor. Beast Boy shouted and jumped in to help; which one he was helping was hard to tell in the confused tangle.

Before Em's amazed eyes, Raven leapt into the air and used her powers to rip the collar off of Terra's neck. The blond girl fell to her knees. Beast Boy offered to help her up, but she stood up by herself, looking very unsteady on her feet, and asked one question before she fell back to the floor, unconscious: "_How could you?"_

Em sat silently, staring at the screens in dismay. Beast Boy really had something with Terra before; it wasn't just Raven being paranoid. "Yikes… I need a vacation…" Em muttered to herself. In her head, electricity burst out laughing.

"Hey Em, find anything?" Robin's voice said suddenly from the door.

Em whipped around. "Geez!" she gasped.

"Sorry," Robin said quickly.

"Well no, I didn't find anything," Em grumbled in reply, quickly ejecting the disk and jamming it into a pocket on her belt.

Robin sighed. He was about to reply when the alarm went off. Em opened the screen quickly.

"Two robberies and a fire… on opposite sides of the city," she said. The rest of the team entered the room.

"Raven and Em, handle the fire. Beast Boy and Cyborg, take care of the robbery on the east side. Starfire, you and I are going to the robbery on the west side. Titans, move out!" Robin said quickly. The Titans nodded and made for the door, none of them voicing their suspicious thoughts. Three things happening at the same time? But they couldn't leave it to chance on hunches.

Beast Boy and Cyborg arrived at the scene of their robbery first. They looked around. No police cars, no chaos, nothing.

"I'm confused… this is where the robbery was, right?" Beast Boy said, scratching his head and looking around.

"This is the place alright. There's something weird going on here…" Cyborg replied. They walked into the store that had been allegedly robbed and asked the clerk. He said that business had been quiet for days; not a robbery to speak of in the last eight years.

When Raven and Em came to the building that was supposedly burning, they found that it was completely intact. A man was walking his dog down the sidewalk and a bunch of kids were playing baseball in the street. The kids all stopped their game the moment they saw the two cloaked Titans touch down just yards away from them. They all ran over excitedly, mobbing Em and Raven.

"Um… isn't there supposed to be a fire here?" Em asked distractedly while two nine-year-old boys tugged on her cloak to get her attention.

"Yes. I knew there was something odd about that call…" Raven replied.

Em finally crouched down and began to talk to the children, who became very excited. Raven watched in slight amusement, but didn't join in. She wasn't good with kids. But even as the kids pelted them with questions, they both wondered what in the world was going on.

Starfire and Robin arrived at their destination not long after the others had reached theirs. They came upon a similarly peaceful scene.

"I do not understand… wasn't there a robbery here?" Starfire asked quietly, looking around.

"The location's right… but…" Robin stopped. "This must have been a ploy. This is some kind of trap. Someone's either lured us into something, or lured us out of the Tower for some reason…"

"But why would-" Starfire stopped talking suddenly, gasping and clutching her abdomen in pain.

"Star! What's-" Robin began, but he was suddenly wracked by the same enormous stomach pain. Both of them fell to the ground, groaning. It wasn't long before Starfire lost consciousness, followed soon by Robin.

Robin's communicator began beeping. "Robin? Robin, do you read me?" Em's voice said across the airwaves. The sound was ignored by the four of Slade's robots who climbed from the sewer and carried the two unconscious teens down into the darkness below the city.


	90. Repetition With A Twist

**Chapter Ninety:** Repetition with a Twist

Robin woke up slowly, the pain in his stomach gone, but the memory still fresh in his mind. He sat up quickly, realizing that he was not anywhere near the place that he had passed out.

"Awake at last, Robin?" a familiarly menacing voice said quietly from the shadows.

Robin jumped to his feet as none other than Slade stepped out in front of him. "Slade. I should have known…" Robin hissed.

Slade had obviously gotten a new lair since his base at the Needle had gotten thrashed. It was like a cave carved in the shape of a warehouse. The walls and ceiling were like a naturally formed tunnel, but the floor was smooth as concrete. There was plenty of machinery, just like Slade's first hideout. Plus, as per usual, there was a large wall of monitors in front of a chair and a control panel.

"Should have, yes. I'm surprised, Robin. You haven't yet demanded to know what my plans are," Slade replied calmly.

"There are more important things in this city than you!" Robin replied. Slade was slightly surprised, though he didn't show it. If Robin was getting over his obsession, Slade had a little less leverage. "For instance, where's Starfire? What have you done with her?!" Robin continued, shouting at this point.

"Don't worry, Robin. She's right here," Slade replied, nodding his head toward a door behind Robin. Robin turned around and the door opened, revealing Starfire struggling in the grasp of four robots. She had obviously just woken up, or the robots would have been scrap-metal.

"Robin!" she shouted. The robots began walking toward Robin and Slade quickly, dragging the fighting Tamaranian with them. They let her go when they reached them. Starfire quickly jumped into Robin's open arms, hugging him tightly to calm herself down.

"How touching," Slade said menacingly. Robin turned and looked at him, still holding Starfire close to his side.

"What's to stop us from destroying you right now?" Robin asked scathingly.

"It's quite simple, really," Slade began. "If you take so much as a step toward me, I'll annihilate your little girlfriend before you even lay a hand on me."

"You're bluffing," Robin shot back.

"Are you willing to take that risk?" Slade replied.

Robin looked at Starfire. She didn't even hesitate, but nodded, giving him permission to try. Robin removed his arm from her waist and took a bold step toward Slade. Slade folded his arms behind his back, eye narrowing. Robin stopped for a moment, waiting.

Suddenly, Starfire gasped in pain. Her knees buckled and she doubled over, arms crossed over her stomach. Robin dropped to his knees at her side.

"Starfire! Wha-" he began to ask, but she groaned loudly. He could tell she was valiantly fighting the urge to cry.

"Stop!" Robin shouted at Slade, pulling Starfire into his arms. She was shuddering and gasping. "Stop it, please!" Robin shouted again.

After a few more agonizing seconds, Starfire's harsh breathing calmed and her shuddering quieted. Robin turned angrily toward Slade again, holding Starfire against his chest as she took deep, calming breaths.

"What was that?" he shouted. "What did you do to her?"

"I trust you recall getting attacked by your Titan friends while you were in Rome," Slade began, taking a step toward them. "You probably realized that there was something odd about the water that came from the sprinkler system."

Robin froze. The water… Starfire had mentioned that it smelled weird, and Em had bluntly confirmed the fact. According to the manager of the hotel, their room was the only one in which the sprinklers went off. "Oh no…" Robin muttered.

"Yes, Robin. Aqualad and Speedy tampered with the sprinkler system before the attack was initiated. I'm sure Emily is wondering why Speedy was so forward with her," he added as an afterthought. "I've found that her hormones are easy to tamper with. I had to get your attention somehow, didn't I?"

"What did you do? What was in the water?" Robin demanded.

"A rare viral bacteria that was discovered and mutated right here in my own laboratory," Slade replied airily. "It coats the stomach and does nothing until the correct frequency is sent out. When activated, it eats away at your stomach lining. Eventually, it goes right through and proceeds to destroy the rest of you from the inside out."

Starfire shuddered again. Robin pulled her a little closer.

"I am aware that your friend, Raven, has healing powers, and if given enough time, she would be able to repair the damage. But, it would take far too long. If she tried to heal you, I could merely activate the virus and it would have eaten through your stomach before she even began to repair the tissue damage."

"So… what do you want from us?" Starfire finally spoke, sitting up with a little help from Robin.

"Call it a repeat performance, but the two of you work for me now," Slade answered simply. "And if one of you refuses, I will kill the other."

"What if we both refuse?" Robin asked boldly.

"Then I will destroy the girl, and make you watch every agonizing second," Slade replied carelessly, walking over to his control panel.

"You will wear only the uniforms I give you, and you will do only as I tell you," he continued. "You will sleep in this room on those mattresses in the corner." He pointed at two old mattresses in a dark corner of the room. A uniform was folded on each mattress. Robin recognized the one he had once worn. The other was nearly identical, but it more resembled Starfire's normal apparel.

"Sweet dreams," he finished, walking from the room and locking all the doors behind him.


	91. No Such Luck

**Chapter Ninety-One:** No Such Luck

Starfire looked over at Robin as she put her uniform on. There was no way to avoid changing clothes in the same room, so they had both promised not to look. But she couldn't stop herself. He had already put on the black and orange suit and was just strapping on all of the metal. She couldn't help but feel a kind of ache in her chest when she saw him wearing that uniform. It brought back a torrent of painful memories. He began to turn toward her and she quickly looked away, hastily finishing with her own uniform.

He walked slowly up behind her and placed a hand on her shoulder. He sighed. "What are we going to do?" he asked, obviously despairing.

"What can we do?" Starfire replied hopelessly. "I do not want to lose you…" Then, without warning, Starfire turned and buried her face in Robin's shoulder, unable to restrain her tears any longer. She clung to the front of his shirt, shivering. He wrapped his arms around her and sighed. There was nothing left to say.

"This is bad… this is very very bad…" Em muttered, pacing back and forth in front of the couch in the main room. It was midnight, and the Titans had gotten no word from Robin or Starfire. They'd simply disappeared.

"Calm down, please. You're going to lose control of yourself," Raven pointed out as she followed Em's progress with her eyes.

"I'm trying to calm down, but it's proving difficult!" Em burst out finally, turning and looking at Raven and Beast Boy who were sitting together on the couch while Cyborg tried to get a lock on Robin's communicator. "Do you realize that every time one of us goes missing, we turn up wearing Slade a uniform?!"

"She has a point," Beast Boy admitted with a sigh.

"Well, at least we have a lead now," Cyborg grunted distractedly.

Em heaved a dramatic sigh and fell over backwards, lying on the floor and staring despairingly at the ceiling. "You guys don't get it…" she muttered.

"What do you mean?" Raven replied patiently.

"I mean that none of you have ever been kidnapped by him, and I have," Em replied, still flat on the floor. "It's… scary; the fear of not knowing what's going to happen next and what he could do to you…"

The other three exchanged glances. Em had never talked about her brief periods under Slade's control. Nor, for that matter, had Robin or Terra. None of them knew how to reply.

Em finally sat up, looking incredibly downtrodden. "I'm gonna go for a walk… call me if- _when_ you find something," she said quietly, standing up and walking out the door without another word.

"Be careful!" Cyborg called after her.

They heard the door shut and sat in silence for another few seconds. Then, Raven sighed. "What are we going to do?" she asked hopelessly.

"Someone should go with her; it's not safe for any of us to be out alone," Cyborg replied.

Raven stood up. "We'll be back…" she said, trying to sound confident.

"Good," Beast Boy replied. Raven gave him a small smile before pulling up her hood and disappearing into the floor.

Raven caught up with Em in the sky a few minutes later. "Hey," Raven said quietly to get her attention. "Cyborg said we shouldn't go out alone; it's dangerous for us right now."

Em nodded in consent. "Sorry for just taking off," she said, watching the ground far below as they flew.

"You have no reason to apologize," Raven replied quickly. "We… didn't even think about the fact that you were in their place… twice before."

"It's not that big of a deal," Em said, trying to sound off-handed. "Robin's gotten out before, right?"

"Yes…" Raven replied quietly, also turning her gaze to the ground. "At least this time, he has Starfire with him."

"Starfire…" Em said suddenly, looking even more depressed before. "What is this going to do to her? I don't mean to insult her, but… she's a little more emotionally frail than Robin and I…"

"I hadn't even thought about that," Raven admitted. "We have to find them."

"Well, unless we start looking, we'll have no such luck," Em replied. "Let's get back to the Tower. We need a plan."


	92. All's Fair In Love And War

**Chapter Ninety-Two:** All's Fair in Love and War

Robin woke up early the next morning. He realized that he had been holding on to Starfire all night like a teddy bear, with her back against his chest and his arms around her waist. He let go of her and sat up, noticing suddenly that it was very cold in the room without Starfire to keep him warm. He looked down and saw Starfire shivering. She noticed the difference as well, obviously. She sat up and rubbed her arms in an effort to warm up.

Starfire looked at Robin, not offering her usual "Good morning!" Instead, she sighed and shifted her gaze to her boots. Robin didn't know what to do; he wanted so badly just to see her smile again. So he moved in front of her and tilted her chin up so she was looking directly at him.

"We're going to get out of this, Star," he whispered. "I promise." He leaned forward and kissed her gently, just to reassure her. When he pulled away, she did look a little calmer, and she tried to smile, but it didn't work very well. She just leaned back toward him and wrapped her arms around his neck, searching for hope in his embrace. She laid her head on his shoulder and he hugged her, closing his eyes and desperately hoping for a way out of this.

"Excellent, you're both awake," Slade's voice said from behind them. They both jumped to their feet immediately, not having heard him come in. "Now, listen carefully. I have a little job for you to do tonight…"

"Good morn-" Beast Boy began when Em entered the room, but she held up a hand to stop him. Her eyes were closed and she held her other hand to her forehead. "Um, I was just trying to say good-" Beast Boy tried again, but Em stopped him a second time.

"Headache…" she muttered in answer to his questioning stare. "Bad headache…"

"It's because you're stressing yourself out," Cyborg said quietly.

"Gee, I wonder why I'd be stressed," Em grumbled sarcastically.

"Would you lay off already?!" Cyborg snapped.

Em's eyes narrowed. "Have we found them yet?" she asked swiftly.

"No…"

"Then no, I won't lay off!" Em shouted. "I will _not_ stop stressing myself out, and I will _not_ relax until they're both home! You don't have any idea what they're going through!"

"The fact that we don't know doesn't give you the right to get angry at us!" Cyborg shot back.

Em was about to shout back, but Raven came through the door and said four words that shut the two of them up immediately: "You're letting him win."

They knew what she meant. By fighting amongst themselves, they were letting him win. They were letting him tear the team apart. They were letting Slade win.

Cyborg sighed resignedly and turned back to the computer, but Em completely lost it. She fell to her knees and viciously punched the floor. "I can't take this!" she shouted at no one in particular. "I can't just sit here, not knowing!"

Cyborg knelt down next to her, placing a hand on her shoulder. "Em, we're doing all we can. We'll find them," he said quietly.

"I know…" Em replied glumly. "Sorry…"

"For what?"

"Yelling at you… and denting the floor…"

"You dented the floor?! Just by punching it?!?"

"It was an accident!"

Darkness had finally fallen over Jump City, and two dark figures appeared out of a sewer.

"So we're stealing two pairs of cybernetic gauntlets from Skyway Enterprises?" Robin repeated for the hundredth time, just to make sure he wasn't hearing things.

Skyway Enterprises had one of the most high-tech security systems in the country. Its headquarters in Jump City was composed of two seventy-story skyscrapers connected by 100-meter-long glass skyways every five floors from which the company had gotten its name. The complex was known commonly as Sky Towers, but in the business, it was called the Lofty Fortress. Apart from the Needle, they were the tallest buildings in Jump City; twin behemoths of steel and glass that looked elegant on the outside, but were dangerous on the inside if you hadn't been invited. It was one place you had to be crazy to break into.

And it was the one place Robin and Starfire were going.

"Yes, Robin. And I would suggest that you didn't ask me that question again," Slade replied pointedly through both of their earpieces.

Starfire grabbed Robin's hand without a word and lifted off. Their black uniforms made it seem as though they disappeared into the night sky.

"Your target is on the top floor," Slade continued in a business-like tone. "Oh, and really, have fun."

Starfire fought the urge to stop right there and let the virus just eat her into nothingness. Instead, she swallowed hard and whispered, "Robin, I do not wish to steal from Skyway. I know that our friends will arrive to stop us, and I do not think I can fight them."

Robin was about to answer, but Slade cut in. "Don't worry my dear, you will fight them. You know what will happen if you don't."

Starfire was again tempted to just give up, just let Robin get away. But she knew he would never leave her. And even though it was one of the many reasons she had fallen in love with him, right now, she wished he didn't care so much about her.

It was nearly eleven at night. The Titans were all still awake, trying to find Robin and Starfire. Em and Beast Boy were out searching the city while Cyborg and Raven were searching from the Tower.

Em's communicator beeped. She flipped it open and saw Cyborg on the screen. "Any luck?" he asked doubtfully.

"No. You?" she replied just as hopelessly.

Cyborg shook his head, but just as Em was about to say something, her belt started blinking. On the screen, the alarm at the Tower started going off behind Cyborg. Em stopped and hovered in midair.

"Trouble!" she said quickly out of habit.

"Raven, what's up?" Cyborg asked.

"Break-in at the Sky Towers," she replied.

"The Sky Towers?" Beast Boy said as he suddenly appeared on the screen, having whipped out his communicator when his belt started beeping. "Only one person would have the guts to rob that place…"

"Or send someone to rob that place," Cyborg consented.

"Don't you mean two someones?" Em added darkly.

"Titans, move out!" Cyborg shouted. The transmission cut out. Em tucked her communicator back into her belt and took off toward Skyway Enterprises, dreading what she would find when she got there.


	93. A Lofty Discovery

I wasn't going to mention anything, but what the hell. There have been comments throughout the posting of this story to the effect of "the characters are OOC" and "this has no plot" etc etc. I've gotten these same comments several times over. It's great that you noticed, really. But please, read the author's note at the beginning. I already mentioned these things. Just so you know, I am aware. Thank you.

* * *

**Chapter Ninety-Three:** A Lofty Discovery

"Okay, we've got the gauntlets, what now?" Robin snapped. Starfire was hovering awkwardly behind him, casting worried glances at the five security guards lying unconscious on the floor.

"On your right, there is an entrance to the top skyway. You will cross it and exit the other building," Slade replied.

Robin began to walk toward the exit, but Starfire didn't budge. "Star," Robin said quietly. She looked over at him, tears sparkling in her eyes.

"Robin, what have we done?" she whispered, terrified.

Robin took her hand and began pulling her to the door. "Please, Starfire. I don't want him to hurt you," he pleaded quietly.

"Oh Robin, you can get away!" Starfire cried suddenly. Robin stopped pulling her. "Just let him destroy me! Then you can be free of him!" She landed roughly on her feet in front of him. "Please, do not care so much for me!"

Robin placed his hands on her arms and stared straight into her tear-filled eyes. "Starfire, I will never stop caring for you. I will never stop loving you. And I could not live without you," he said, firmly but gently.

Starfire began to feel weak and she started to lean toward him for support, but Slade suddenly hissed in their ears, "It would not be in your best interest to waste any more of my time."

"Star, you have to be strong right now," Robin begged quietly, leading her toward the door again. "Please… we're almost done…"

Starfire wiped her eyes and followed him, trying to be strong; trying… for her Robin.

"I'm here," Em said into her communicator. "And it looks like someone shattered a window on the top floor of the left tower. Wait…" Em flew a little closer and saw that the window had not, in fact, been shattered. It had been…

"Melted…" Em breathed. One word came to her head, and that one word was said immediately by Cyborg.

"Starbolts."

"Starfire," Raven said with a sad shake of her head. She had teleported Cyborg up to the top floor of the right tower, where they found Beast Boy waiting for them.

Em flew back over to the right tower where Raven opened a window so she could get in. Cyborg had his hand resting on the handle of the door leading to the skyway. He counted down from three and pushed the door open. They all ran into the skyway, but stopped dead ten yards down.

Standing stock-still barely thirty yards away were two teenagers clad in all black and orange.

"Robin!" Beast Boy shouted, shocked by the sight even though he knew he'd see it eventually.

"Starfire," Em said under her breath. The Tamaranian looked to be near a complete breakdown at the sight of her friends.

"Not a word…" Slade reminded them quietly. "Prepare to attack."

After a few moments of hesitation, Robin pulled out a bo staff. Starfire slowly summoned starbolts to her hands, eyes glowing green.

"Guys!" Cyborg shouted. "What did he do this time?"

"Attack!" Slade shouted.

For another moment, nothing happened. Robin had his eyes closed tightly, and Starfire was shaking. Then, finally, Robin jumped forward with Starfire flying close behind him.

Em jumped into the air, narrowly avoiding being disemboweled by Robin's bo. Em hovered a foot above the ground as Robin turned back toward her, swinging his bo. Em deftly dodged his killer swipes, trying to talk to him the whole time.

"Robin, I don't want to fight you. None of us do. Please, just tell me what he has on you; we can help," she ranted loudly. Finally, she missed a step and took a painful hit to the side, sending her crashing right through the glass wall of the skyway.

She came back up in her fire element. "That's it!" she growled. "You don't wanna play nice? Then I won't play nice…"

_Calm down,_ Em ordered from her mind. _This isn't their fault. He probably poisoned all of us or something, and they're just doing what he says to save us._

Fire groaned and rolled her eyes. _Fine, don't get your panties in a twist…_ she grumbled back.

Meanwhile Starfire had begun hesitantly shooting starbolts and Raven and Cyborg. She seemed to be missing on purpose. "You'd better clean up your aim, my dear," Slade said menacingly. Starfire closed her eyes and stopped shooting. Instead, she blasted forward and tackled a surprised Raven. Raven saw no other choice but to defend herself.

Cyborg and Beast Boy went after Robin after he had vaulted Em out the window. After that, the real battle, the real fighting, began.

They were all holding back to some degree, that much was obvious. But after nearly fifteen minutes of confusing fighting, Robin finally couldn't take it any longer. He fell to all fours in the middle of the skyway.

"I can't do this again!" he shouted in distress, slamming his fist against the floor. "I won't!"

"Bad choice, Robin," Slade growled.

Starfire gasped from somewhere close behind Robin. All the Titans looked up at her and watched in bewilderment as she fell to the ground, arms crossed tightly across her stomach. She started shuddering in pain and tears began to run down her cheeks.

"Star!" Robin shouted despairingly, running over to her. "Please, stop! Stop hurting her!" he yelled.

The Titans all ran forward. Raven knelt over Starfire and closed her eyes, trying to concentrate. Em skidded to a stop in front of Robin, grabbing him by the shoulders.

"Robin, what is he doing to her?" she asked urgently.

"The only way to save her is to take them down," Slade said quietly in Robin's ear.

Starfire shuddered again. "Robin…" she gasped. "Go… you can get away…"

"Robin?!" Em shouted.

Robin wrenched himself away from her, knocking her backwards. He stood up and grabbed Raven by the shoulders. Her eyes snapped open in surprise as he threw her bodily into Cyborg and Beast Boy. The Titans were all on the ground. Robin picked Starfire up in his arms, kicked through a window, and jumped. Em leapt to her feet and raced to the broken window, looking down into the darkness, but they had disappeared.

Robin swung to the ground seventy stories below, releasing the grappling hook he had pulled out on the way down. He looked sadly at Starfire's unconscious form resting in his arms. With an anguished sigh, he ran into the street and disappeared into the sewer.


	94. Hopeless

**Chapter Ninety-Four:** Hopeless

Em sat alone on the roof of the Tower. She shivered slightly and rubbed her arms, shaking off the chill of the gray morning.

"This is the part where everything goes wrong…" she muttered.

She closed her eyes, held her breath, and counted to eleven in her head. It was a relaxation technique she'd learned as a little girl. She had only just remembered it recently. _'Count to eleven and think of the good things.'_

_One, _she thought_, I wasn't the one that got kidnapped this time._

_Two, _time grumbled_, I'm not in control of your mind._

_Three, _gravity picked up_, Robin and Starfire are still together._

_Four, _darkness continued_, Raven's still around make sure you stay sane._

_Five, _light said_, it can't get much worse._

_Six, _earth added dully_, you're alive. That's always a plus…_

_Seven, _wind said quietly_, they're not working for him willingly._

_Eight, _ice cut in_, Cyborg got the tracking devices on them, so we know where they are._

_Nine, _electricity continued_, Cyborg and Raven are making a plan._

_Ten, _water added_, we're going to get them back._

_Eleven, _fire finished triumphantly._ We're all here for you, Em._

Em started breathing again. She opened her eyes and looked out to the horizon, waiting for the sun to rise. She was perfectly aware that the sun wouldn't come up for another three hours, but she needed to be sure…

"…to be sure that the sun will rise today…" she whispered to herself. "…that it won't leave us in the dark again…"

Robin and Starfire both woke up early the next morning, stiff-necked and sore-backed. The night had been hard on both of them. They hadn't so much as looked at each other when Slade walked in.

"Come," he said, tilting his head back toward the door. "You will spend the day training with the cybernetic gauntlets." He tossed them the two pairs of gauntlets.

Robin caught his and looked at them critically. They looked like Beast Boy's gloves with one critical difference: they were made of what seemed to be metal woven into fabric. It was strange material; light as silk but smooth like steel.

He and Starfire both pulled them onto their hands. "I don't understand… what is their purpose?" Starfire asked dully.

"I guess we'll see…" Robin replied with a sigh, standing up and pulling her to her feet.

Robin and Starfire were both completely exhausted. They had been in training all day without any rest. The gauntlets proved to be both powerful and dangerous. They amplified the strength of the wearer four fold using an electric pulse stimulation system, but were an incredible drain on energy.

The two of them collapsed onto their old mattresses. After quite a time of silence, Starfire voiced what they both knew was true.

"There is no hope."

Robin remained silent. He didn't know what to say. Then, finally, he sighed. "I'm sorry…"

"What for?" Starfire asked, drained of her usual curiosity.

"Breaking my promise."

"Oh Robin…"

But Starfire didn't finish her thought, because at that moment, a massive explosion occurred. A section of the roof near the right wall imploded. Robin and Starfire jumped to their feet, but they both gasped upon seeing what had caused the explosion.

A single figure could be seen through the smoke. When the dust cleared, there was Em, eyes, cloak and hair all bright yellow. She rubbed her hands together and static electricity sparked between her fingers. She smiled, glancing over in Robin and Starfire's direction.

"Boom," she said simply.

Slade entered the room calmly through the door. As soon as the door shut behind him, Raven, Cyborg, and Beast Boy dropped through the hole in the ceiling.

"Well, hello there Titans," Slade said smoothly.

"Howdy, Slick," Em replied, still in her electric element. "I do believe you have something that belongs to us. We hope you don't mind if we take it back."

"Oh you could have taken them any time," Slade said. "They could have left if they had wanted to. But they decided not to."

"Really?" Raven shot back. "What's keeping them here this time? A threat to destroy the city? Are you holding the honorary Titans hostage?" she asked sarcastically.

"No, actually. I'm holding them hostage from each other," Slade replied darkly, sounding amused.

"Say what?!" Cyborg shouted, getting impatient and annoyed.

"If one tries to escape, I kill the other. It's quite simple, really," Slade answered, almost laughing.

"So that's it?" Beast Boy shouted. "You're using their relationship against them!"

"And here I thought you could sink no lower," Em hissed, eyes glowing brightly as electricity crackled over her clenched fists.

"Calm yourself, Emily," Slade warned. "One step, and I will kill the alien girl."

The tension in the room jumped to a new level as silence descended over them. Robin and Starfire watched their friends apprehensively. The same question was going through all of their heads: _what happens next?_

A single move hadn't been made when the most unexpected thing imaginable came to pass. The door Slade had walked through was blasted off its hinges by a massive fireball from the outside. It flew across the room and smashed straight into Slade, who hadn't even turned around before he was pinned to the ground by the mass of partially-melted metal.

All eyes fell on Em, who shrugged, still in her electric element. "Wasn't me," she said simply. They all turned to the door and watched cautiously, waiting for the smoke to clear. Someone began to emerge from the debris.

Beast Boy practically fell over in shock. Starfire and Raven gasped. Robin and Cyborg's mouths fell open.

"Whatever I was expecting, it sure as heck wasn't that," Em stated, completely blown away.


	95. The Defining Factor

**Chapter Ninety-Five:** The Defining Factor

"Em?" the figure said in surprise. "I wasn't expecting to see you here…"

"And you think I was expecting to see you here?!" Em replied, switching back to her normal self.

"Factor?" Slade said suddenly, trying to break out from beneath the door which had half-melted into the floor.

Everyone looked over, startled at the sound of his voice. Most of them had completely forgotten he was there.

"Oh, hello Slade," Factor hissed, slowly advancing toward him.

"What are you doing here?" he asked calmly as he finally escaped from beneath the door.

"You lied to me, turned me against the people who fight for everything I believe in… I sure hope you didn't think I wouldn't take it personally…" Factor continued.

"Young lady, you don't stand a chance against me," Slade said simply.

"Uh, hello?!" Beast Boy shouted. "Haven't you forgotten something?"

"Oh yes," Slade hissed. He turned to Robin and Starfire. "Attack. Now."

Robin and Starfire looked at each other. Starfire smiled. They both turned back to Slade.

"No," Robin said boldly. "We will not attack our friends."

"You have disappointed me once again, and your lovely little girl will pay for it," Slade growled in reply. He reached one hand behind his back. Robin watched him carefully. The first time he had demonstrated his virus' power, he had folded his arms behind his back.

"The belt!" Robin shouted. "The control is on the back of his belt! Titans, shut him down!"

"With pleasure," Factor stated simply, rushing forward before any of the Titans had even begun to react.

Starfire gave a sudden cry of pain as she fell to the ground, bent over double. Robin crouched next to her, hugging her and trying to keep her calm.

"Just a little longer…" he whispered soothingly. "They'll stop him…"

"Alright, you heard the man," Cyborg said, looking at the Titans. "We've got butt to kick!"

The Titans (and Factor) came down hard on Slade, but he was as evasive as ever. They were barely a minute into the battle when Starfire screamed.

"Guys, we don't have time for this!" Robin shouted desperately.

"We're doing all we can!" Raven yelled back.

"Time…" Em whispered to herself. She hadn't even tried to switch into her time element since she'd tried to ultimately destroy her. "There's no choice."

Em closed her eyes and took a deep breath. Her hair and cloak turned green. She opened her eyes and brought one hand up in front of herself.

"Slade, you just ran out of time," she said as her eyes and hand glowed brightly. And then, suddenly, everything froze. Em lowered her hand. She immediately started to feel the strain on her energy, so she flew forward. She touched down next to Slade and curled her fingers around a black box fastened to the back of his belt. It was barely the size of a golf ball and had several buttons and switches on one face.

She was about to rip it off when she caught sight of her reflection in the shiny surface of Slade's shoulder pad. She gasped. "No…" she whispered, clenching her teeth and examining them more closely to make sure she wasn't seeing things. But she wasn't hallucinating.

She had fangs.

"No!" she shouted, quickly tearing the black box off of Slade's belt. She could feel her energy fading away. She switched back to her normal element just before the world went black. Time started back up again and she heard Slade's voice very close, roaring in anger as the box was crushed in her hand and she passed out of the conscious world completely.

Slade caught her by her wrist before she hit the ground. He yanked her up and held her suspended above the ground, staring at the broken device in her hand. He looked over into the corner of the room. Robin was helping a rather pale Starfire to her feet.

"Yo!" Cyborg shouted, charging up his sonic cannon and pointing it straight at Slade. "Put her down!"

Beast Boy turned into a velociraptor and stood menacingly in front of the masked man, waiting for him to make a move. Raven summoned orbs of dark energy to her clenched fists and watched him warily with glowing white eyes. Factor was in her fire element, just waiting for Slade to move an inch.

Slade shrugged his shoulders and dropped Em unceremoniously to the floor. She didn't seem to notice. "Well Titans, it seems you have bested me this time," he said carelessly. He turned and stared menacingly at Robin and Starfire. "But know this, Robin. You might keep escaping me, but you will never really be rid of me. I will haunt you for the rest of your life, and even after you're gone, I will haunt your children, and your family will be forever cursed by the mere memory of me. You will never defeat me, Robin, because I will keep escaping you, too."

And with that, he threw something to the ground at his feet. The room became filled with smoke in seconds. "Titans, don't let him get away!" Robin shouted from somewhere in the dark haze.

"Another day, Titans," Slade's voice said from behind the curtain of smoke. "Another day."

The smoke eventually cleared, and Slade was nowhere to be found. Em was drooling all over the floor, but otherwise the Titans were fine. Robin invited Factor back to the Tower. She accepted, and the Titans finally returned home with an unconscious Em slung over Cyborg's shoulder.


	96. Hope For The Future

**Chapter Ninety-Six:** Hope for the Future

"Factor, I must say, you really saved our butts," Em said later that night after she had finally woken up and the Titans were all at the dinner table. Raven was eating much more than usual, considering she had just spent nearly two hours healing all the damage done to Starfire's stomach.

"And we think you deserve a reward," Robin added, pulling out a shiny new Titans communicator. "Would you like to be part of the team?"

"Awesome!" Factor shouted, swiping the communicator from his hand and looking at it with an excited smile. "Wait… I don't have to live here or anything, do I? 'Cause I don't know how long I could live under the same roof as her," she said, smiling and jerking her thumb at Em.

"Now now, Factor, I hope you don't need another lesson from Auntie Em!" Em warned, shaking her index finger at her.

"No way! My back can't take many more lessons from you!" Factor replied in a mock-fearful way.

The Titans laughed. Factor and Em seemed to be getting along well enough, regardless of their spotty history.

"You can come and go as you please. Titans Tower is home for any and every Teen Titan," Raven said.

"Good to know," Factor said, sitting back in her chair with a satisfied sigh. "But I think I'm gonna jet pretty soon. I have a whole world to see, and a whole lot of bad guys like Slade to keep from messing with girls like me."

"An honorable task if ever there was one," Em said dramatically, bringing the back of her hand to her forehead and leaning back so far in her chair that she tipped over backwards.

Starfire looked up when she heard someone call her name. She had been wandering aimlessly through the halls of the Tower since dinner, thinking. She had been very quiet and rather weak since the viral transmitter had been destroyed, and it would most definitely be a while before she recovered completely, both physically and emotionally.

"Star!" the voice said again. Starfire smiled when she identified the voice. Robin came around the corner a second later. "Star, I've been looking for you. How are you doing?" he asked as he came up to her, laying a hand on her shoulder.

"I am fine, thank you," Starfire replied distractedly, and not exactly truthfully. She looked at the floor. "I have just been thinking…"

"What about?" Robin asked curiously.

Starfire glanced back up at him, blushing. "Children…" she muttered.

Robin raised an eyebrow. "What about children?"

"Slade… he said… what was it again? 'I will haunt your children…'" she said thoughtfully. "By 'your children', did he mean… well… _our_ children?"

Robin shrugged casually, though he did look a little uneasy. "I guess… Why do you ask?"

Starfire looked up at the ceiling, her eyes clouding over as though in a daydream. "Our children… _our children_…" she whispered. "Have you ever… thought of such a thing?"

"Well… kind of…" Robin mumbled, now looking anything but calm as he blushed and looked at the floor.

Starfire smiled mischievously. "'Kind of'?" she repeated, sounding amused.

"I guess I'd always thought, I mean before we were together, that if the Titans were to break up, you'd be the one that would stay with me," Robin muttered hurriedly, blushing madly. "And… I dunno… I had this kind of fantasy that we could… settle down somewhere when we were older and… you know… start a family or something…"

Starfire was smiling and seemed to be biting back tears of either joy at such a proposition, or laughter at Robin's unusual behavior.

"Not for a while of course!" he added hastily.

"Oh, of course," Starfire replied quickly, also blushing a little. "Not for a while…"

They stood facing each other awkwardly for another few seconds, both staring at the ground. Then Starfire let out a shriek of laughter and threw her arms around Robin's neck. He smiled and spun her around, then held her against him contentedly.

"Oh Robin…" she sighed sleepily. "…I love you."

Robin's eyes snapped open. _Okay, _he thought,_ I know I have issues admitting my feelings, but I have to do this. I have to… because I do love her. So I just have to take a deep breath and say it. How hard can it be?_

"I…" he began quietly. Then he smiled and tightened his gentle hold on her. "…I love you, too."

He heard her sigh as though she had been holding her breath. He smiled to himself, distinctly glad that he had finally told her the truth. He pulled away from her and took her hand.

"Come on, we've had a rough couple of days. We need some sleep," he said. She smiled and nodded in consent, following him to their rooms.


	97. Hit The Ground Running

**Chapter Ninety-Seven:** Hit the Ground Running

For several weeks, the first thing Em did when she woke up was make sure she didn't have fangs. Though she'd never admit it, her brief period in her time element had unnerved her.

Factor had only stayed at the Tower for a few days. She had been helping the Titans with the daily crimes because Starfire was taking a break, and nobody could blame her for it. Robin was at her side nearly twenty-four-seven. Beast Boy and Raven were spending quite a lot of time together as well, and Em and Cyborg were the only ones who knew why.

Overall, things were going quite well at Titans Tower for once.

But of course, as the Titans had learned, good things never last.

Dr. Light escaped from prison nearly a month after Robin and Starfire had slipped from Slade's grasp. He was trying to set up some kind of massive light bulb in the courtyard where Em had first faced Slade's minions so long ago. The half-finished light was perched on top of the large granite ball at the end of the yard.

"What are you trying to do this time?" Cyborg asked dully, charging his sonic cannon. Dr. Light had picked up a rather unflattering reputation with the Titans as being somewhat of a crackpot.

"The plan doesn't matter; let's just kick his butt!" Em said quickly, jumping into the air in her electric element.

Robin shrugged. "Let's get this over with," he consented.

Em got to Dr. Light first. He was thirty feet up at the top of his unfinished contraption. The yellow-haired Titan hovered at his level, electricity crackling around her arms.

"Lights out, doc!" she said with a smirk. She swung her fist toward him to release the electricity, but nothing happened. The static that had been bouncing between her fingers moments before had disappeared.

"What the-?" she began, looking at her hand. She couldn't seem to summon any electricity. She shook her hands at her sides and tried again. Nothing.

"Em, what are you trying to do exactly?" Raven asked, coming up next to her.

"My… powers aren't working…" Em muttered, switching to her fire element. She tried to summon fireballs to her hands, but nothing happened. She switched through all of her elements (except time), trying all of her powers (except time), but they just weren't working.

She suddenly began losing her balance in the air. "Uh oh…" she said worriedly. She was falling. "Whoa!" she shouted as she completely fell from the air and smashed into the ground thirty feet below.

Robin and Cyborg rushed over to her. She sat up, looking dazed. "Ow…"

Unfortunately, while they were distracted, Dr. Light had made a run for it. Robin, Beast Boy and Raven went to find him while Starfire and Cyborg helped Em up.

"What the heck just happened?" Cyborg asked in confusion.

Em switched through all of her elements (except time) again. She looked increasingly worried every time nothing happened.

"My powers aren't working!" she repeated in horror. She jumped into the air and fell back onto her feet. "I can't even fly!"

"Maybe you just need some rest," Starfire suggested worriedly.

"Yeah, probably…" Em muttered doubtfully. "I'm going to go back to the Tower…"

She took a few steps forward, then stopped. "Oh yeah… I can't fly…" she sighed.

Starfire walked over to her. "It is okay, I can take you home," she said quickly.

"Yeah, I'll take the T Car and catch up with the others," Cyborg replied, racing over to his car and driving off.

Starfire grabbed Em's wrist and jumped into the air. Em found it disheartening to have to be flown home.

"I am going to go help the others," Starfire said, dropping Em off on the roof. "Please, do not try to jump from the roof or anything!" she added as she took off.

Em sighed and walked down to her room. She did what was to be expected: settled down on the floor to meditate.

When she reached the shores of her mind, she found all of her elements, even time, were out talking to each other.

"So, what exactly happened back there?" Em asked by way of greeting.

They all turned and looked at her. Several of them shrugged.

"Everyone blames me, of course," time grumbled. "But if you had cared to test my power, you'd realize that I'm helpless too."

"In other words, we're as lost as you are," fire added.

"Oh boy…" Em sighed.

Em returned to the physical world shortly, having found nothing of use in her mind. The team wasn't back yet, so she went to the main room and turned on the local news.

"Local astronomers are having a field day, or rather a field week," the reporter said with a smile as a picture of a comet appeared on his left with the words 'Lumina's Comet' beneath it. "That's right, if you happened to look out your window last night, you probably would have noticed the appearance of a celestial visitor. Lumina's Comet will be visible in our night skies all this week before it disappears for another two-hundred-thirteen years. Apparently, Lumina's Comet is composed of a rare type of metal known as Illuminus, found only on the far side of the Vegan star system. The comet was named for the metal it is made of. Scientists say that Illuminus metal has strange effects on the weather, and even in very rare cases, the time stream. So don't blame Paul if the weather report ends up wrong, eh Paul?"

The report moved on to Paul, the meteorologist, standing in front of his green screen with the weather map superimposed behind him. Em turned off the television, thinking.

"No, couldn't be…" she muttered. Comets affecting people in strange ways was the most clichéd story in the book, but Em was beginning to think that it wasn't all fiction after all.


	98. Powerless

**Chapter Ninety-Eight:** Powerless

The Titans returned home shortly. They found Em sitting at her laptop in her room.

"So, any luck with your powers?" Robin asked.

"Starfire, how much do you know about Illuminus metal?" Em asked suddenly.

"Not much… it comes from an asteroid belt at the far end of the star system Tamaran is in, and it has rather alarming effects on weather when it gets too close to any planet with an atmosphere," she replied with a shrug.

Raven looked curiously at Em, comprehension beginning to form in her mind.

Em sighed and turned her laptop so they could see the screen. A picture of Lumina's Comet was enlarged on the screen.

"Allow me to introduce my greatest foe," Em said dully.

"Lumina's Comet?" Robin said, reading the caption.

"It's made of concentrated Illuminus metal," Em continued in a hopeless monotone.

"I understand," Raven said suddenly. "Illuminus metal doesn't just affect weather; it affects the basic elements of earth."

"Bingo," Em sighed. "So until the comet passes out of range, I'm powerless."

"That's gotta suck," Beast Boy said, breaking the awkward silence.

"But if it just affects the elements, why can't you fly?" Robin asked.

Em looked up at him thoughtfully. "I have absolutely no idea," she replied, vexed.

_I can answer that one,_ fire said from her mind.

"Hold on, fire knows," Em said suddenly, cutting off Robin as he began to say something.

_I'm surprised you don't remember this,_ fire mused. _You couldn't fly until you gained your electric element._

"Really?" Em replied, surprised.

"Really what?" Cyborg said, confused.

"Oh, sorry, I was talking to fire," Em said quickly.

_Yeah, really. So, since you can't use your electric powers, you can't fly either,_ fire finished.

"Huh…" Em muttered. She looked up at the Titans, who were all staring at her like she was crazy. "What?"

"It's just kind of weird, watching you have a conversation with your head," Beast Boy pointed out.

"Oh, right," Em blushed a little and smiled sheepishly. "Fire said that I couldn't fly until I had my electric element, so since I can't use my electric powers, flying is a no-go."

Another awkward silence followed.

"So… what are you going to do?" Starfire asked hesitantly.

"I guess I'll just have to learn to fight without my powers," Em replied with a shrug, though she was beginning to look rather miserable.

"Well, I can help you if you want," Robin suggested.

"I guess I'll need all the help I can get, won't I?" Em sighed, closing her laptop with a snap.

"Come on, let's hit the gym. You'll have basic martial arts down in no time," he said with a smile.

Em stood up and stretched. "You never realize how awkward walking is until it's all you can do," she commented lightly, following Robin down to the gym while the others wandered off for some time to themselves.

"You catch on fast," Robin grunted, standing up after Em had swept his feet out from under him.

"Ha, yeah right. I just have a knack for attracting beginner's luck," Em replied, helping him to his feet. "Besides, if you were actually trying, I'd be learning a lot faster."

"Well I don't exactly want to snap any of your bones, now do I?" Robin replied, smirking.

"I'd like to see you try," Em replied with a haughty grin. That was one way to get Robin to actually train her: make it a challenge.

For the first hour, Robin had been teaching Em the basics of his form of martial arts. Em had them pretty much nailed down after another hour and a half, so Robin began sparring with her to test her skills. Much to Em's frustration, however, he was obviously holding back.

Robin threw a punch, which Em sidestepped and countered with a roundhouse kick, which he blocked and countered, and so it continued in that fashion until he had Em's arm behind her back.

"See? Now I'm actually learning something!" Em pointed out when he let go.

"Hey, if you're up for it, you'll be learning a whole lot more before dinner," Robin replied, smirking again as he settle into attack position.

"Food… need… food…" Em gasped dramatically as she half-walked half-crawled to the main room.

"Very funny," Robin said shortly as he walked past her.

Em sighed and stood up. "Hey, it's not my fault you're a karate Nazi," she replied, sticking her tongue out at him.

"I prefer the term 'slave driver'," Robin said lightly.

"Aw, smart-guy's a joker!" Em said sarcastically, rolling her eyes and smirking.

This back-and-forth conversation continued until they reached the main room. Em and Robin had never really just talked casually like this before. There were a few times they had, but it was a rare occurrence. Em thought it a shame; she enjoyed talking to Robin.

"Bring on the food!" Em shouted as she burst through the doors of the main room, causing Beast Boy to fall off the couch in surprise and Raven to telekinetically slam the doors shut by accident due to the sudden interruption in her concentration.

"Gee, thanks for the welcome," Robin grumbled as he shoved the doors back open.

Starfire pounced on him the moment he walked through the doors. "Robin, I haven't seen you all afternoon!" she pouted.

Robin smiled and kissed her cheek. "I blame Em," he replied.

"Shut it, Nazi boy," Em snapped back, sticking her tongue out at him again. He returned the gesture and Starfire laughed.

"Dinner is served!" Cyborg shouted over the rest of them.

"Great! I'm so hungry, I could eat Robin!" Em said pointedly with an evil grin.

"With your balance? You couldn't even hit me let alone eat me," he replied with a smirk.

"We'll see about that," Em replied airily. The other Titans smiled, quite enjoying listening to their bantering.


	99. Wrong Redhead

**Chapter Ninety-Nine:** Wrong Redhead

"Catch," Robin said, tossing a small metal cylinder to Em the next morning when they reached the gym.

Em caught it with one hand. She looked at it for only a second before realizing what it was. She grinned and squeezed it in her hand. It doubled, tripled, quadrupled in size and continued growing in length until it was as tall as her.

"I think you're ready to start training with a bo staff," Robin said, stating the obvious as he whipped out another one.

After only a short while, it became painfully apparent that Em had no skill whatsoever with a bo staff.

Robin sighed. "Okay, try it again, and this time spin it faster," he said, feigning patience.

"Alright, but I'm telling you, this is a wasted effort," Em grumbled, quite a bit more frustrated than Robin was. She had switched to her fire element a while ago to let off some steam, and was still in it.

She spun it as Robin had instructed her, but it went the wrong way. She ended up smacking Robin in the side of the head much harder than was healthy for him. He keeled over sideways, completely unconscious.

Em gasped. "Oh crap…" she muttered, kneeling down next to him and leaning over his head.

"Hey, Nazi boy!" she shouted, shaking his shoulders. He remained utterly motionless. "Oh crap…" she repeated with a sigh.

Robin opened his eyes and found himself in his old bedroom at Wayne manor. He was sitting on the end of his bed. The door opened, and there stood Starfire, smiling at him. She sat down beside him and leaned toward him.

"Robin…" she whispered tauntingly in his ear. He shivered a little. She placed a hand beneath his chin and turned him to face her.

"Robin…" she whispered again, leaning closer until they were nearly nose-to-nose.

"Robin…" she whispered a final time, closing her eyes. Her lips were just barely touching his when they were rudely interrupted.

"ROBIN!"

Robin opened his eyes. He was on his back on the floor of the gym, his head throbbing and his vision blurry. He could make out the figure of a girl leaning over him, her red hair obvious even through his hazy eyes.

"Star…" he murmured groggily, wrapping his fingers around her wrists and sliding his hands down to her own.

To his surprise, she yanked her hands out of his grasp and smacked him.

"Hands to yourself, buddy! You've got the wrong redhead," Em's voice snapped.

He blinked a few times and his vision cleared, revealing Em's fire element looking crossly at him.

"Did you have to slap me?" he grumbled, placing a hand on his cheek indignantly.

"Hey, if you thought I was Starfire, I didn't know what you'd be doing next," she replied shortly. She stood up and pulled him to a sitting position. He groaned as his head pounded.

"I think you need a break," Em said simply. "Just chill here for a minute. Try not to hurt yourself." She walked from the room wearing a smirk.

Robin smiled a little, recalling the first time she had said that to him.

Em was walking toward Starfire's room, but she didn't need to go that far. Starfire was walking down the hall as well.

"Starfire!" Em shouted, running to catch up with her.

Starfire stopped and turned around. "Yes?"

"You should probably go to the gym. Robin needs some sexual healing," she said shortly.

Starfire's eyes widened and she blushed madly. "Excuse me?" she stammered.

Em laughed. "I was just kidding. He needs a break though; I guess I worked him too hard. So go on, I'm pretty sure he wants to spend some time with you." And with that she strode off to her room without another word.

Starfire stood quite still in the hallway, mulling over what Em had just told her. Finally, she shrugged and made her way quickly to the gym. What she found there was Robin, still sitting on the floor, rubbing his head.

"Robin!" she gasped, sliding to the floor next to him. "What has happened?"

"I learned that Em has absolutely no skill with a bo staff," he replied dazedly. "And I learned it the hard way…"

Starfire smiled, glad to see he was at least okay enough to have a sense of humor about it. She leaned toward him and took his chin in her hand, turning his head toward her so she could see where he had been hit.

"Oh Robin…" she sighed in distress. "I think you will need to apply ice to this." She gingerly ran her fingertips over the rapidly forming bruise and he winced.

"I can think of something else I need," he replied with a mischievous grin.

Starfire raised an eyebrow and smirked. "And will this something stop your head from swelling?" she asked airily.

"Nope, not in the least," he replied, grabbing her around the waist and kissing her. Starfire couldn't help but laugh a little as she wrapped her arms around his neck. Okay, so at times, Em sure knew what she was talking about.


	100. Normal

**Chapter One Hundred:** Normal

Em laid on her bed, staring at the ceiling, perfectly still. Her normally white ceiling was streaked with pink from the sunset streaming through her windows. It had been exactly thirty-nine hours since she had lost her powers. She still had one-hundred-twenty-nine hours until her powerless week was over. And suddenly, as she laid there in her own world, the horrible reality of her situation came crashing down.

"Oh…" she said softly, eyes widening. "Oh…" she repeated, sitting up slowly and taking deep breaths. She looked down at her hands. "Oh dear…"

Raven opened her eyes when someone pounded on her door. "What?" she called crossly, not appreciating being interrupted.

Em burst through the door. "What… what if it's not the comet?" she said quickly, terror evident in her voice. "What if I'm like this forever? What if it's just… over?"

"Whoa, Em, calm down," Raven said quickly, standing up and walking toward her friend.

"I'm powerless!" Em continued, completely aghast. "I'm…" she trailed off and leaned against the door frame. "I'm…" She slid down to the floor, staring blankly into Raven's room.

"_Normal_."

Raven stopped and looked at her, concerned. "Em, come on, you're just stressing yourself out," she reasoned calmly.

"I've never been _normal_, Raven," she said in dull amazement. "I… so this is how it feels… to be just like everyone… everyone else… out there…"

"Em, even if you don't have your powers, you're far from normal," Raven replied.

Em glanced at her. "I don't know if that was a compliment, or…"

Raven smiled a little bemusedly. "Take it either way," she said quietly. "You have to relax, Em. This isn't like you." Raven sat down on the floor next to her as she talked.

"No..." Em consented vacantly, gazing at the floor in a dreamlike way. "I don't suppose it is."

Raven hesitated, watching Em thoughtfully. "So, how'd your bo staff training go?" she asked awkwardly, not the best a changing the subject when matters were so dark.

Em pulled the small metal cylinder out of her belt. "Not so great…" she admitted crossly and extended it in a bored sort of way. She looked at the metal shaft with intense dislike.

"Well I suppose the fact that Robin was teaching you didn't help much," Raven said with a light laugh.

"You've got a point," Em replied, smiling a little.

At that moment, the alarm went off. The two girls jumped to their feet. Raven looked at Em in surprise.

"What?" Em asked, seeing the look.

"Well… maybe you should stay here…" Raven began.

"I'm going," Em replied simply, retracting the bo and jamming it back into her belt as she ran down the hall.

Raven sighed and pulled up her hood as she followed.

When they arrived in the main room, the rest of the Titans gave Em the same sort of look Raven had.

"Em, are you…?" Robin began.

"Yes, I'm going!" she said in near exasperation.

"Are you sure that's a good-" Cyborg began hesitantly, but he was cut off by Em's death glare.

"What is it this time?" Raven asked Robin from the door.

Robin turned back to the screen. "I don't actually know. Report says that some whack-job teenage boy with a tux and a top hat just stole a kitten from the pet shop."

The other Titans stared at him. "And they need our help on this because…?" Cyborg asked, rolling his eyes.

"Apparently, he took down whole squad of cops on his way out," Robin replied, heading for the door.

"Oh, see that I can understand," Cyborg replied sheepishly.

"Alright, let's go then!" Em said quickly, turning toward the door. However, she found Robin standing in her way.

"Em, are you sure it's a good idea for you to come along?" he asked seriously.

"We already went over this," Em said impatiently. "I'm going. End of story."

"Robin is right," Starfire added. "You have not gotten used to fighting without your powers yet."

"And I'll never get used to it if I don't test my mad karate skills on a crazy teenage maverick," Em completed, making another break for the door. She got barely two steps before she found herself enclosed in a black bubble.

"Em," Raven said seriously. "We're just worried about your health… and sanity."

"My health and my sanity are fine," Em replied, starting to get agitated. "Look, if I get my butt kicked, I'll be a good girl and stay home for the rest of the week. Okay?"

Robin didn't respond right away.

"Dude, you're not going to win this," Beast Boy said.

Robin glared at him.

"He's right," Raven consented with a shrug.

"Fine, but I'm holding you to that!" Robin sighed. Raven released Em from her telekinetic prison.

"Don't worry, I'll be fine," Em said confidently as they all headed for the garage. "Oh yeah, Cy, I'll need to hitch a ride with you."

"Hey, don't you think you're a little old to be doing cheap magic tricks?"

A boy, looking about the same age as Robin, turned around. He had brown hair, wore a Zorro mask over his eyes, and was sporting a black tuxedo and a cape. He held a small orange kitten in his hands.

"Ah, Robin. I was wondering when you'd show up. And here you are, lame banter and all," the boy said in amusement, showing off a mischievous smile. The rest of the Titans came up behind Robin shortly. They had found the 'maverick' sitting on the roof of a building downtown, legs dangling over the edge as he watched the havoc he had caused with amusement. He now faced them across the roof calmly, smile still in place.

"And you brought the rest of the Titans with you! Well now I feel special," he added airily.

"I have to ask, why exactly did you steal a kitten?" Raven asked impatiently.

"I wanted a pet," the boy replied simply, shrugging.

"You do realize that if you had just paid for it, you wouldn't have needed to decimate an entire squadron of police officers," Em said sarcastically.

The boy smiled and whipped his cape around. In a twirl of the fabric, he disappeared. The Titans had barely even registered the fact that he was gone when he appeared next to Em.

"You must be Em," he said smoothly, leaning way too far into her personal space and staring into her eyes critically. Em leaned back in alarm, watching him warily. "I've heard a lot about you, my dear Elementress. Like, for instance, the fact that you currently have no powers."

"I see you've done you homework," Em replied calmly. "And I'm flattered, really, that you've taken a special interest in me. So flattered in fact, that I have something for you."

The boy was slightly thrown off by her easy reply, having expected her to be surprised by his knowledge of her recent predicament, and had most definitely not expected to be belted in the stomach by a bo staff a second later. Em spun the shaft expertly as he regained his feet.

"Oh, I'm sorry, maybe I should have given you a receipt," she said, smirking and raising an eyebrow.

The boy snapped his fingers and a silk top hat appeared in his hand. He dropped the kitten into the hat and tossed it into the air, catching it behind his back. He smiled. "Allow me to introduce myself," he said easily. "My name is Ace, and this is the part where I kick all of your asses." He bowed in a gentlemanly way.

"Titans, go!" Robin shouted.


	101. Ace Of Spades

**Chapter One-Hundred-One:** Ace of Spades

"Why do they always have to make this harder for us?" Em said grumpily as the battle began. "I mean seriously, they never just say 'Hey, I think I'll go to jail now!'"

"If they said that, we'd be out of a job," Cyborg replied, firing up his sonic cannon.

"…True…" she consented with a shrug.

"Ha, want to see me pull a rabbit out of my hat?" Ace asked excitedly, sidestepping a charging Robin and easily avoiding a barrage of starbolts. He reached into his top hat. His arm went in up to the shoulder.

"Oh great, another Mumbo Jumbo," Raven sighed.

"Who?" Ace asked as he pulled out a small stuffed rabbit. He tossed it at Starfire, who caught it with a look of confusion.

"Why is this rabbit beeping?" she said in bewilderment.

"Star, drop the rabbit!" Robin shouted.

Starfire did as she was told quickly. Unfortunately, Robin was right under her. The rabbit fell right into his hands.

"Uh oh…" was all he managed to say before the beeping stopped and the rabbit exploded.

"Should've seen that one coming," Beast Boy said with a laugh before changing into a rhinoceros.

"Hey, hat boy!" Em shouted, running straight at him. He stepped to the side and she raced past him.

"Just what was the point of that?" he asked, sounding amused.

"Distraction, duh!" she shouted back as Beast Boy the rhino ran over him.

As the battle continued, the Titans learned that Ace kept quite a lot in his hat, including a crossbow, an anchor, several bombs shaped like frogs, an angry poodle, a massive hammer, a flamethrower, and an assortment of other varied yet dangerous items.

Em wasn't doing much damage, unfortunately. Ace seemed to enjoy invading her personal space, often getting very close to her just to make her nervous. Em found it extremely annoying and finally lost it. She managed to pin him to the ground by some stroke of luck.

"What now, hat boy?" she hissed.

He grinned and pulled his hat up in front of himself. "I believe you've met my kitten?" he said, reaching in. What he pulled out, however, was definitely not a kitten anymore.

Em stood up and slowly backed away from Ace. "Nice kitty," she said sheepishly.

"Em, meet my kitten, Asia," Ace said, bowing again. The 'kitten' let out a roar that shook the ground. It looked more like a colossal tiger than the tiny orange kitten it had been minutes before.

"Okay, so stealing a kitten doesn't seem like such a crazy idea after all," Robin said, staring blankly at the massive tiger, standing at least seven feet tall with paws the size of manhole covers and teeth ten inches long at their shortest.

"I've heard of 'big cats' but this is ridiculous," Raven sighed, crossing her arms with a scowl. Beast Boy heard her and laughed. They locked eyes and both smiled, blushing slightly.

"Not the time, guys!" Em shouted, running past them at full speed in the opposite direction of the cat, which was currently chasing her across the roof with great leaping bounds.

"Here kitty kitty!" Cyborg shouted, taking careful aim and shooting his sonic cannon at the beast, apparently named Asia. The cat slid to an ungraceful stop when it was hit in the rear end by Cyborg's sonic charge. "Booya-ahhhh!" Cyborg's shout of triumph turned into a cry of retreat as Asia made for him instead.

Meanwhile, Robin, Starfire and Beast Boy were busy trying to detain Ace. They weren't doing a very good job, unfortunately.

Robin was knocked to the ground by Ace who was currently wielding a massive boxing glove. Starfire touched down on the rooftop to help him to his feet, but Ace appeared next to her with a rose in his hand.

"A pretty flower for a pretty girl," he said, raising his eyebrows and flashing a smile.

Starfire, bewildered, took it from him, and then proceeded to blast him six feet into the air with her eyes. She scrutinized the flower for a moment, but before she had discovered what was odd about it, it exploded. Starfire quickly regained her feet, grumbling. "This Ace seems to be fond of things that explode," she said crossly to Robin, who nodded in consent before they both jumped back into the battle.

Em, Raven and Cyborg had finally fallen into a strategy of sorts. Raven and Cyborg would attack the cat while Em served as bait to keep its attention.

"I think I got a raw deal here," Em shouted as she did a few back flips to avoid being crushed by Asia's massive paws.

"We're doing all be can!" Cyborg replied, strain evident in his voice.

"A little more effort would be much appreciated!" Em replied desperately over her shoulder as she ran.

"Watch out!" Raven shouted suddenly.

Em skidded to a stop and found herself trapped at a corner of the roof being stared down by the world's biggest tiger. "Uh oh…" she muttered. She quickly considered her options. It didn't take long to reach her unfortunate conclusion. _My only choice is to jump…_ She looked behind her and saw the ground twelve stories below.

Starfire looked over from her battle for a moment to see how the others were faring. She gasped. "Em, no!" she screamed as she watched the white-cloaked Titan dive backwards off the corner of the building. Robin, Beast Boy and Ace all whipped around.

Robin shouted and ran forward. Beast Boy turned into a cheetah and ran for the edge of the roof as fast as he could. Starfire took off in the same direction, even though she knew she'd never get there in time. Ace just stared, looking as though he didn't know what to do for the first time.

"Em!" Raven shouted, quickly beginning her mantra to stop her friend before she hit the ground, but Asia turned on her instead, so Raven had to defend herself rather then save Em. Cyborg also had his hands full with the cat.

In other words, Em was falling fast with no hope for a safe landing.


	102. Point Of Impact

**Chapter One-Hundred-Two:** Point of Impact

As she fell, Em's mind became remarkably clear. She didn't feel like she was falling. It was more like she was flying. She closed her eyes and it felt like everything slowed down.

_Em, focus, if you hit the ground, you're done for_, fire said frantically, but she sounded far away.

_For once, the red-head's right,_ ice added.

_Em, open your eyes,_ electricity's voice rang out above the rest. _It's time for a miracle._

_A miracle?_ Em opened her eyes and they immediately turned a brilliant shade of gold. The ground was rushing up to meet her. She flipped over in the air so she was upright, and felt herself slowing down. Her toes brushed the concrete of the sidewalk before she lifted back into the air. She smiled, closing her eyes again.

"A miracle…" she sighed. She lifted lazily up through the air and landed gracefully on the roof. The Titans were all staring at her; some in shock, others in relief. Starfire jumped forward and trapped her in a bone-crushing hug.

"Do not scare us like that again!" she half-laughed, half-shouted, terror still clear in her voice.

Em merely smiled. "Would someone like to explain why I suddenly have my powers? It hasn't been a week yet," she said.

"The comet obviously doesn't just stop your powers altogether," Cyborg said thoughtfully. "The metal probably makes your powers spike and fade at different times. You caught it in a spike."

"But I'd be careful," Raven added. "If your powers are spiking, they could be a lot stronger and harder to control."

Em nodded, but something caught her eye. Her eyes narrowed and she took off, coming to rest in front of a boy in a tuxedo who was walking across the roof, trying not to attract attention.

"Hello, Ace," she said coolly as he stopped in his tracks.

"Look, I didn't want anyone to get killed," he said defensively. "I just wanted my cat." He gestured to his hat, into which he had put Asia minutes before.

"And yet you caused quite a lot of damage," Em replied. "Don't think you'll be getting off so easily."

The Titans had him surrounded in seconds. Ace merely grinned and reached into his hat. What he pulled out surprised all of them. A mask identical to Slade's. He fit it over his face and spun his cape around. When the fabric whipped back behind him, he was wearing a full Slade costume.

"Now what were the words?" he pondered, his voice muffled from the mask. "Ah yes: Another day, Titans. Another day." With another whirl of his cape, he was gone.

"Dangit," Em growled bitterly. "I wanted to test my powers out on him…"

Robin was about to reply when he noticed that Starfire was clinging to his shoulder, eyes squeezed shut. She was visibly shaking and looked rather pale.

"Star?" he asked, sounding extremely concerned. The rest of the Titans turned upon hearing his voice.

Starfire opened her eyes a little. "He is… gone?" she whispered.

Robin nodded. "Star, what's wrong?" he asked, placing his hand over hers which was still on his shoulder.

"I am sorry," she said quickly, blushing a little and avoiding eye contact. "It is just… ever since we were under his control… I have been having nightmares… Just the sight of that mask frightens me," she admitted with a shudder.

Comprehension dawned on Robin's face. "Slade," he muttered angrily.

Starfire removed her hands from his shoulder and took a step back, startled at the look on his face. She rarely saw him look so angry, and when he did, the outcome was never good.

They were slightly distracted, however, by a loud explosion nearby accompanied by a shriek that sounded like Em. The Titans whipped around and saw that a part of the roof had been blown sky high. Em was staring wide-eyed at it, still in her electric element.

"What was that?" Raven asked.

"I dunno… my powers just sort of rushed out," Em said, waving her arms wildly to illustrate her point in a way only electricity could.

"I told you to be careful," Raven said pointedly.

"I was being careful!" Em replied, still a little surprised. "I didn't even do anything and-" She abruptly stopped when her eyes flashed yellow and Beast Boy went flying. He fell back to the roof with a loud thud. Raven bent over him and looked worriedly into his eyes.

"Was it something I said?" he asked dazedly.

Raven smiled in relief and helped him to his feet. Em was at his side in seconds.

"I'm so sorry! Are you okay?!" she said worriedly.

Beast Boy just laughed sheepishly. "Yeah, it's no big deal," he replied while taking a step away from her.

"I have to go meditate," Em said hurriedly, taking off so quickly, the rest of the Titans were blown back several feet.

"This doesn't bode well," Raven sighed. "I'd better make sure she doesn't blow up the Tower." She left the roof as well, but much more gracefully.

"I'll go too, because…" Beast Boy cast around for a reason. "Uh… see you guys at home!" He turned into a falcon and followed Raven.

"I'm gonna see if Ace left a trail," Cyborg said, heading for the roof access door. "I'll call you if I find anything."

Robin and Starfire were left alone on the roof. Robin was at the edge, staring broodingly down at the street below. Starfire hesitantly approached him.

"Robin…" she began quietly.

"Come on, there's nothing more to be done here," he said sharply, turning away from her and walking stiffly to the roof access door. Starfire watched him sadly. She closed her eyes and sighed.

"Please don't do this to me again," she whispered to herself before floating up off of the roof and back toward the Tower.


	103. Shattered Promise

**Chapter One-Hundred-Three:** Shattered Promise

Raven knocked on Em's door. There was no answer. She opened the door slightly and looked in. Sure enough, Em was on the floor with her mirror. Raven closed the door again and turned to find herself face-to-face with Beast Boy.

"Is she okay?" he asked.

"It's hard to say," Raven admitted, glancing back at the door worriedly. Beast Boy noticed her concern and took her hand.

"Don't worry about her; she can take care of herself," he said with a smile. Without warning, Raven moved forward and hugged him. Though he was caught off guard, Beast Boy embraced her quickly. He could tell she was stressed out by how quickly she was breathing.

"It's okay," he whispered soothingly. "Shh, calm down… We're all stressed out right now; it's okay."

"There's just been so much pressure on her mind lately," Raven whispered in distress. "It's so powerful; it's been getting to me too. I don't understand how she's putting up with it."

"As long as she's dealing with it, everything will be fine," Beast Boy reasoned comfortingly. He pulled away from her and took her hand again. "Come on, you need to relax for a while." They walked into her room together and sat down to talk, closing the door behind them.

Robin and Starfire returned home shortly after. Robin marched up the stairs without a word. Starfire followed him quickly.

"Robin, I-" she began, but his door slammed in her face before she could get out another word. She sighed and leaned her forehead against the door, closing her eyes and placing a palm flat against the metal. She could just imagine what he was doing in his office.

The room would be dark but for the single light over the desk where he would be sitting, typing away feverishly or pouring over old reports and newspaper clippings. She held her breath to hold back the tears that threatened to escape her. She turned from the door with a pained look in her eyes and marched off to her room before she changed her mind. She knew that if she stayed there, she would just go in and beg him to come out. She would beg and be rejected. It was a painful process that was all too real.

Meanwhile, Em was hovering over the peaceful lake in her mind, rifling through her subconscious. Memories flitted across the glassy surface of the water. Everything seemed normal. But then, something else reached the surface.

"_Who is Slade?"_

Em raised an eyebrow, eyes still closed. That wasn't one of her memories.

"_Last night, something… got loose. Something bad."_

That wasn't one either.

"_Whoever they are, they're no match for the Teen Titans."_

"What… these aren't my memories," Em whispered, keeping her eyes closed. As abruptly as it had started, the strange occurrence ended. Em opened her eyes hesitantly and retreated from her mind. She leaned back against her bed, deep in thought.

"What just happened?" she muttered to herself. She didn't have much time to ponder it, however, because her light element rushed to the surface accidentally and things began exploding. "It's gonna be a long three days…" she muttered, struggling to control her powers.

The next day, Em woke up early and proceeded quickly to the gym, intent on staying there all day if need be to try and contain her recently-regained powers. Cyborg crashed in front of the TV around noon, shortly after he woke up. Raven and Beast Boy had fallen asleep in Raven's room the night before and stayed in each others' presence for the rest of the day. Robin hadn't left his office since the previous evening.

That afternoon, Starfire finally couldn't take it any longer. She walked hesitantly to his door and knocked.

"Robin?" she called quietly.

"I'm busy, Star," he replied, sounding strained and rather angry.

"Robin, please, this is important," Starfire called back. He didn't respond, so she opened the door and took a few steps in. Robin walked up to her and stood impatiently in front of her.

"I'm sort of pressed for time, so could we make this quick?" he said distractedly.

Starfire looked at him sadly. "Robin, you have been locked in this room for nearly a day. You promised you would not do this again."

"Starfire, he hurt you," Robin replied sharply. "I didn't realize how badly until yesterday, and I won't rest until I pay him back for it."

"Robin, that is not what I want," Starfire replied calmly, taking one of his hands in both of hers. "I do not want you to defend my honor if it means you will become what you were four years ago. You told me that you would change, and you did. Did all of that mean nothing to you?"

"You don't understand," Robin snapped. "This time, it's even more personal than it was before. He hurt you just because you're close to me!"

"I know, Robin!" Starfire suddenly found herself shouting as well. "I am quite aware that he hurt me, but I have been hurt more by you than I have by him! You are treating my like I need to be saved again!"

"I'm not going to let him hurt you again!" Robin shouted back, squeezing her hands.

Starfire glared at him, tears of pain, sadness, and anger welling in her eyes and sliding down her cheeks. "No, Robin," she said firmly, pulling her hands away from him. "_I_ am not going to let _you_ hurt me again."

Robin could only stare in complete shock as Starfire turned and walked toward the door. "But Star!" he shouted desperately. She paused in the doorway, shooting a burning glance back at him. "We promised Em that we would stay together!"

"You can only blame yourself for breaking that promise, Robin," Starfire replied scathingly as the tears continued streaming down her face. "I cannot do this with you anymore. I cannot take being hurt again." With that, she walked out the door and slammed it behind her.

Robin turned silently back to his desk, breathing hard. He shoved all the papers off the surface and buried his face in his hands. "Starfire…" he whispered despairingly. "Why'd you have to do this?"


	104. Building Tension

**Chapter One-Hundred-Four:** Building Tension

Considering the fact that an empath and her apprentice mind-reader happened to live at the Tower, it wasn't exactly hard to figure out what had happened. The following day, Robin locked himself in his office. That on its own wasn't too extraordinary. But Starfire wouldn't go anywhere near his bedroom or his office and absolutely refused to talk about him. When the other Titans mentioned they were worried about him, she acted like she wasn't listening. When asked if she had checked on him, she said she wouldn't even think of speaking with him even if they begged her to.

Needless to say, it didn't take a psychic to figure out that Robin and Starfire had hit a rough spot in their relationship. Though it was beginning to seem like more of a rough field than a rough spot.

The morning passed without incident, unless you count Beast Boy cracking a joke about Robin and Starfire shooting him out a window with her eye beams. Thankfully, Raven was nearby to rescue the unfortunate changeling.

However, shortly after lunch, a new dilemma arose.

"Raven!" Em shouted, pounding on her friend's door. "Raven!"

Raven opened her door in alarm. "What's wrong?" she asked, startled.

"I'm seeing memories in my head that aren't mine," Em said urgently. "Every time I meditate, they just come up to the surface. I can't control it."

Raven looked thoughtful for a moment. "You gained the power to sense the thoughts of others a while ago," she began quietly. "So since your powers are out of control, that particular power has jumped to full blown mind-reading."

Em looked apprehensive at the thought. "I don't know if I like that idea," she admitted warily. "Most of the memories I'm getting aren't good memories."

Raven looked suddenly curious. "Exactly what have you been seeing?"

"That's pretty much the gist of it," Em sighed after recounting as many of the memories as she could. She and Raven were hovering over the floor in the center of her room. Raven nodded.

"Okay, I want you to enter your mind," Raven said calmly. "Get in position over the lake, and let the memories flow. When they stop, come back and tell me what you saw."

Em nodded and took a long, calming breath. She closed her eyes and found her center. After that, it wasn't long before she was sitting over her lake, sifting through the memories of her teammates.

Many were pretty generic; mornings at the pizza parlor, evenings at the movies, regular roommate stuff. But after a short while, the darker sides of the Titans' lives began to appear. One stood out in particular.

"_Come on, Raven."_

That sounded like Terra.

"_What stings the most?"_

Em saw a flash of what was happening. Raven seemed to be sitting in mud with a very smug Terra moving slowly toward her, donning her Slade uniform.

"_That I tricked you?"_

She felt a sharp pain jolt through her head.

"_That I nearly wiped out your team?"_

The pain continued rising steadily. Em squeezed her eyes shut more tightly, wincing.

"_That everyone liked me better than you?"_

The aching jumped alarmingly, making Em's head pound.

"_Stop it!"_

Raven had shouted that. Even though it was just a memory, Em could feel Raven's control slipping.

"_Or is it that deep down inside…"_

Em drew in a sharp breath. The buzzing in her brain became silent, and the next words were incredibly clear.

"…_you really believed I was your friend?"_

Em was brought crashing back to reality. Her eyes shot open and she found herself gasping for breath. She had fallen from her hovering position at some point, she didn't really know when. She looked up and saw that Raven was looking at her through clouded eyes.

"Raven, I-" Em began apprehensively.

"I know what you saw," Raven cut her off quietly, showing no emotion in her voice.

"I can understand why you didn't forgive her," Em said after a long silence, sounding distraught.

"I'd rather not discuss it," Raven replied simply. "Besides, we have a more pressing matter to attend to."

Em looked confused for a moment, then nodded knowingly. "Ah, yes. We do indeed," she consented. "Robin and Starfire."

"I don't suppose you know what happened?" Raven asked hopefully.

Em shook her head. "No idea. I definitely felt something yesterday evening, but I didn't think it was this big."

"Well, apparently, it is big," Raven sighed. "However, the question remains: what are we going to do about it?"


	105. In Not So Many Words

**Chapter One-Hundred-Five:** In Not So Many Words

Starfire sat on the floor in front of her window, watching the sky fade into dusk. She stared blankly at the city. It seemed different now. Bigger. Colder. As though she was no longer welcome. As though there was something missing, and the city wouldn't be beautiful and full of life again until that something was back in its place.

She sighed. Of course she knew what was missing. But she couldn't let herself think about him. Otherwise she would go back to him and get hurt again. She had to be strong. Though more jokes had been made about how much power she had over him, it went both ways. She couldn't resist him, and he knew it.

Starfire fell backwards onto the floor with another sigh, laying on her back and staring dully at the ceiling. _Now what?_

"No, you're thinking too far ahead," Em said distractedly after Raven had made several suggestions.

Raven looked thoughtful for a moment. "What do you have in mind?" she asked finally, out of ideas.

"Why don't we try talking to them?" Em suggested.

Raven paused for a moment, shocked that such a simple idea hadn't occurred to her. "It's so simple, it just might work," she said sarcastically with a smile.

The next morning, Em and Raven decided to follow through with their ingenious scheme.

"Starfire?"

Starfire looked up curiously. It sounded like Raven was outside her door.

"Hey, Star!"

She raised an eyebrow. Em too?

"Come in!" Starfire called. The door opened and sure enough, Em and Raven looked curiously through the doorway. Starfire was sitting on the floor in front of her window again, watching the sun rise and idly twisting loose strands of her hair.

"Please sit down, I was just… looking at the city," Starfire said, not entirely untruthfully. Em and Raven exchanged a glance before walking into Starfire's room. Em closed the door behind them. They joined her on the floor.

"So…" Em began casually, looking around the room.

"Yes?" Starfire asked warily.

"Are you going to tell us what happened?" Raven said bluntly. Em shot her a glare, but Raven shrugged. "No use beating around the bush."

Starfire sighed in frustration. "Must you pry into my emotions? I didn't mind before, but it is becoming rather unnerving…" she said a little more sharply than was usual for her.

"We're your friends, Starfire," Raven replied. "We're worried about you."

"And besides, I didn't even need to pry to know something's wrong," Em added. "Our minds are sensitive to strong emotion without opening up. You are distinctly upset, young lady. It doesn't take a mind-reader to figure out that something happened."

Starfire looked out the window. "I don't suppose I have much choice…" she muttered, glancing at the other two girls. They both shook their heads. Starfire sighed once again and told them what had happened.

"I cannot help but wonder if I did the right thing…" she finished quietly, staring at the floor.

"Of course you did!" Em said reassuringly. "Robin wasn't treating you fairly; he deserved what he got." Em was resisting the urge to break Robin's door down and give him a pep talk similar to the one she had given Beast Boy after he had freaked Raven out.

Starfire refused to look at them. "I feel so… foolish," she finally muttered.

"What for?" Raven asked.

"I…" Starfire began uncomfortably. "I miss him." She ran her fingers up into her hair in frustration. "I live with him, I see him every day, and still I miss him!"

"You can't blame yourself for that," Raven said quietly. "You two were together for a long time."

"I haven't been able to sleep in the past two nights," Starfire continued miserably. "I'm so used to having him there with me. I had forgotten how cold the Tower can be at night."

Em and Raven listened in a dismayed sort of way. Starfire was rarely depressed like this.

"I cannot help but question what I have done," she sighed. "I am staying away from him to stop from getting hurt again, but I am hurting very much right now."

"In all truth… I don't know what to tell you," Em said sympathetically. "Just… do what your heart tells you."

"I do not understand what my heart is telling me," Starfire sighed distressfully.

"Sorry we can't help," Raven said quietly.

"You do not need to apologize," Starfire replied quickly. "I just… I don't know…"

"_You're getting married?!"_

"_Starfire! You have to calm down. My powers are driven by emotion. The more you feel, the more energy you unleash."_

Em woke up suddenly, sweating. The blankets had been thrown from her bed. She had been tossing in her sleep again. The memories had begun to haunt her dreams too. She looked over at her clock. Three in the morning. In exactly twenty-nine hours, Lumina's Comet would be gone. She sighed and fell back on her pillows, eventually fading back into a fitful sleep.


	106. Turbulence

**Chapter One-Hundred-Six:** Turbulence

Robin laid on his bed in the dark, staring vacantly at the ceiling. He hadn't spoken to anyone since Starfire had walked out of his life. He hadn't gotten any work done, he hadn't done any training, he hadn't slept, he hadn't even eaten. He just sat or paced around his room. Em and Beast Boy had come to check on him, but he had acted like he was sleeping.

He missed her. He hungered for her. He had to admit: he'd really messed up this time.

Em was watching the clock all day, counting down the hours. At eight o' clock the next morning, she'd be free of this curse. But until then, she was stuck with her constantly rushing and waning powers.

The day was wholly uneventful but for Em's powers completely overloading and half the gym being decimated. That was cleaned up quickly enough with a lot of help from Raven and Cyborg. Starfire went out for a walk later that evening. Just as darkness fell, right before the Tamaranian returned, Robin's starved and exhausted mind hatched a desperate plan.

Starfire walked slowly through the deserted halls of the Tower. It was approaching nine o' clock and the Titans were usually in their own rooms or in the main room by that time. The lonely girl stepped into her room, leaving the door open as she turned to switch the light on.

But before she flipped the switch, she heard the door close behind her. She whipped around and saw Robin standing just inside her closed door, looking at her through the darkness, the only light provided by the moon shining through her window.

"Robin? What are you doing here?" she asked, sounding as cold as she could through her surprise.

He didn't respond. He just started walking slowly toward her. Her eyes widened and she stepped back, maintaining distance. At first she thought he was going to attack her or something, but she realized quickly that Robin would never hurt her intentionally. No, he was going to do something much worse. He was going to apologize, and he knew there was no way she could refuse him.

"Robin," Starfire began desperately, still backing away. "Please, this is hard enough!" It was only a few seconds before she was backed into her wall. Should've seen that one coming.

And suddenly he was right in front of her, their faces inches apart as she tried to avoid eye contact.

"Starfire, relax," he whispered. "I'm not going to kiss you."

That simple statement hardly allayed her nervousness, though she did relax slightly. He touched her shoulder and she shivered, squeezing her eyes shut and refusing to look at him as her breathing quickened.

He leaned closer and whispered in her ear, "I'm sorry, Starfire." She could feel his lips grazing her ear as he spoke, and it hardly helped her situation. "I'm sorry that I hurt you and that I ruined everything. I'm not going to beg you to come back to me; I've realized that I don't deserve someone as perfect as you."

Starfire froze. He was doing this on purpose, she told herself firmly. He was trying to get her to pity him. It was working.

"I would never hold onto you if I thought it was best for you to be away from me," he continued. "And I'm sorry I snuck up on you. I just…"

He paused, breathing heavily. "I just needed one last chance to be close to you…"

Starfire broke down. She couldn't take it anymore. She slid down the wall until she was crouched on the floor, sobbing into her hands. Robin crouched in front of her, placing gentle hands on her shoulders.

"Star, what's-" he began worriedly.

"Do not ask me what is wrong," she cried. "You are what is wrong! Please just stop being so… so you!"

"I don't understand-"

"Oh Robin," Starfire sobbed, interrupting him again. "You are everything to me. You are everything I could ever want or ever need. And then you tell me that you don't deserve me! _You_ not deserve _me_! It is precisely the opposite, Robin. I do not deserve someone like you. Someone who would do anything just to be close to me one last time. You are everything, Robin. I am the only unworthy one here…"

"Don't say that," Robin whispered soothingly. "Don't say that, Starfire. I love you. Why would I love someone unworthy?"

He reached forward and brushed her tears from her cheeks before quickly withdrawing his hand, looking regretful. "Sorry! I didn't mean to… I just… it's a reflex and-"

He didn't finish his sentence, however, because Starfire had chosen that moment to grab him by the back of his head and pull his lips to hers. He was a little surprised; she wasn't being as gentle as usual. But then, he didn't have any intention of taking things slow when he'd been longing to kiss her.

While this heated reconciliation was going on, Em was meditating a few doors down. Ten and a half hours… just ten and a half hours left…

She hovered over her peaceful lake, unfamiliar memories flitting through her mind.

"_Patience, Robin. Patience."_

"_Well, that's what happens to folks when you go away for twenty years."_

"_You almost got hurt. Next time it could be worse. He's planning something. I have to find out what."_

The memories began to come faster, flashing across the water.

"_Keep your legs off my boy!"_

"_The next time I tell you something's too dangerous, take my word for it!"_

"_I do not wish to yell, merely to understand."_

"_Robin? Robin, please respond!"_

"_You can start by trusting me!"_

"_I should've been there. I should've known."_

"_Slade did not trust you, and you did not trust us."_

"_It has to go away. Just like before. Just like all the others."_

"_Robin, you are my best friend. I cannot be in a world where we must fight. If you are truly evil, then go ahead. Do what you must."_

"_Our flaws, our weaknesses, everything he'd ever need to know."_

"_I'm sorry that… he broke your heart."_

"_But… Robin… there was no one there."_

"_I don't have any friends, remember?"_

"_You will be surprised at the risks Robin will take."_

The memories began to blend together until they sounded like a badly-tuned radio. Em had her eyes squeezed shut, waiting for something to happen. Unfortunately, something did. A deep male voice could be heard above the rest. He sounded sad, but he obviously wasn't one to portray emotion often. What he said made Em visibly shiver.

"_They shouldn't need to make coffins so small."_

She pulled back from her mind, eyes flying open as she reached reality. She was breathing hard and fast, trembling. "What…" she whispered, terrified. "What was that?"


	107. Morning Rush

**Chapter One-Hundred-Seven:** Morning Rush

Starfire woke up very slowly. She couldn't remember why, but she felt incredibly content. Not to mention warm. She'd been freezing lately when she woke up, why was today different? She opened her eyes and smiled, answering her own question. Robin. They had fallen asleep together, him holding her against his chest. She sighed happily, closing her eyes again. Maybe she could sleep in today…

Em hadn't slept at all that night. She had settled back into meditation, combing through her entire subconscious in an effort to unearth that final elusive memory, but to no avail. By the time she returned to the physical world, it was six in the morning. She made her way slowly toward the main room, several doors flying open and slamming shut as her darkness power surfaced and spiked. She didn't even pay any notice to it, moody as she was.

Her head was pounding, and she seemed even more open to the thoughts of the others than usual. Everything they were feeling was like a constant buzz in the back of her mind. She groaned. It was extremely annoying.

She reached the doors of the main room eventually. They banged open as her electric element surfaced and slammed shut behind her with enough force to cause the metal to buckle, resulting in bent doors.

"Yo!" Cyborg shouted in alarm from the kitchen. "Watch the hardware!"

"What're you so happy about?" Em grumbled resentfully.

Cyborg looked at her curiously. Her shoulders were slumped, her hair was messy, she wasn't wearing her cape, and she looked extremely tired, not to mention irritated. He took a step back. With Em, that was a dangerous combination.

"Um… I didn't say I was happy," Cyborg pointed out.

"Well I can feel what you're feeling, and it's getting on my nerves," Em growled in reply, stomping into the kitchen.

"What do you mean?"

"It means that Robin and Starfire are both extremely happy, Raven is stressed, Beast Boy is still sleeping, and you're just in a cheerful mood for no apparent reason. All of that jumbled together in my brain is giving me a killer migraine, and I'm under enough pressure already!" she burst out in frustration. Her water element surfaced briefly and a jet of water blasted straight up from the sink drain.

Em sighed angrily, closing her eyes and massaging her temples. "Two more hours…" she breathed distractedly. "Just two more hours and this nightmare is over…" She took a few more deep breaths before pouring herself some green tea and floating over to the couch. She swirled the tea around in the mug with her fingertips as she stared moodily out at the city. Cyborg decided to stay clear of her until her powers were returned to normal. He sidled out of the room quietly, hoping to remain unnoticed.

So she sat there. For two hours. Occasionally something would explode, but she paid no attention. She sat perfectly still, staring straight out the windows and waiting. The first time she moved was to glance over at the clock. Two minutes until eight o' clock. She watched the second hand moving slowly around the face of the clock, counting every second in her head. Finally, she had thirty seconds left, and her head throbbed suddenly. She had a vision.

_She was very small; couldn't have been older than four, and she was standing next to a tall man wearing all black. He had a long cape that hung over his shoulders and a hood with bat ears._

"_They shouldn't need to make coffins so small," he sighed sadly. Em turned and saw what he was looking at. A coffin being lowered into the ground. It was barely four feet long._

Reality rushed back to meet her. Her mug slipped from her fingers and shattered on the ground as the clock struck eight. Without another thought, she slid to the ground in a dead faint.


	108. Further Back

**Chapter-One-Hundred-Eight:** Further Back

Robin and Starfire reached the kitchen for breakfast shortly after eight o' clock. Robin peered into the refrigerator while Starfire looked curiously toward the couch.

"We really need to get to the grocery store one of these days," Robin grumbled as he straightened up. "All we have left is instant noodles, some old miso soup, a four pound bag of partially-hydrogenated wasabi nuggets, and half of a cheeseburger hot pocket…"

Robin was cut off when Starfire shrieked. She had peeked curiously over the back of the couch and found Em lying on the floor next to the remains of her mug. She jumped over the couch and grabbed her friend by the shoulders, shaking her a few times.

"Em!" she shouted. "Em, can you hear me?"

Robin joined her on the floor quickly. "What happened?" he wondered aloud, picking up a few shards of her shattered mug.

Em opened her eyes slowly. "Em!" Starfire shouted in relief. Em shook her head briskly, clearing her foggy brain. She sat up, bringing a hand to her forehead.

"What-" she began, but then it all came rushing back. Her eyes fell upon Robin. Before either of them could react, she had Robin pinned to the ground, suddenly in her fire element and holding him by the front of his shirt.

"Where is he?!" she shouted. "Where's Batman?!"

Robin was, to say the least, surprised. Starfire was so shocked she had barely even begun to register what had just happened.

"I don't know, probably at his house?" Robin suggested in bewilderment.

Em stood up without another word and took off, shattering a window and disappearing into the sky.

Robin sat up, rubbing the back of his head where it had been banged against the floor and watching Em fade into the distance. "Okay, what was that about?" he asked.

Starfire leapt to her feet. "I do not know, but I will go after her and make sure she is okay," she replied, taking a running start and jetting out the broken window after Em.

Em reached Gotham City within the hour, having been traveling at high speed in her electric element. She landed rather roughly at the front door of Wayne Manor and rang the bell. Alfred answered the door. He seemed surprised to see her.

"Miss Sanders, I didn't realize you were coming," he said.

"Truth be told, I didn't either," Em replied, sounding a little confused.

"I shall go tell Master Lark you're here," he said, letting her in.

"Actually, I'd like to talk to Mister Wayne," she said quickly.

Alfred raised an eyebrow but didn't pursue the subject. "Very well, follow me," he said, walking up the stairs. Em hastily followed him.

The butler led Em to the top floor of the manor. Bruce's study was at the end of the hall. Alfred knocked. "Master Wayne, Miss Sanders wishes to speak with you," he called through the door.

There was silence for a moment. Then, Bruce answered. "Thank you, Alfred. Show her in."

Alfred opened the door and stepped aside. "Thanks Alfred, it was good to see you again," Em said with a hesitant smile as she walked through the door.

"Likewise, Miss Sanders," Alfred replied, closing the door after her and wearing a hint of a smile as he walked back down the hall.

"What brings you here, Emily?" Bruce asked as soon as Em was through the door. He was sitting at his desk, looking out the windows on the back wall. Em walked straight up to his desk and crossed her arms over her chest, glaring at the back of his head.

"What happened?" she asked coldly.

"You're going to need to be a little more specific, Emily," he replied apathetically, turning around to look at her. As soon as he said her name, she clenched her fists at her sides and closed her eyes, taking a deep breath to calm down.

"Don't call me that," she muttered, trying to keep her anger out of her voice.

"Excuse me, Emily? I couldn't quite hear you," Bruce said clearly, watching her every move.

Em's fire side flared to the surface and she slammed her fists down on Bruce's desk. "I _said_ don't _call_ me that!" she shouted. "Who was it, Batman? Who was in that coffin? And why were you there?!"

"Ah, so that's what this is about," Bruce replied as if he hadn't noticed the fact that she had dented his desk. "Robin mentioned that you had been repressing memories of your early childhood when you all came for my party. I was wondering when I'd be seeing you again."

"You mean you've been expecting me?" Em asked, finally calming back into her normal element.

"I've been expecting you for thirteen years," Bruce replied darkly.


	109. Life And Death

**Chapter One-Hundred-Nine:** Life and Death

Starfire arrived at Wayne Manor shortly after Em. She rang the bell and waited, looking around her nervously. Alfred answered again.

"Good morning Princess Koriand'r," he said upon seeing her, bowing slightly.

Starfire blushed. "Please, call me Starfire, and you do not need to bow," she said embarrassedly.

"Very well, Miss Starfire. Miss Sanders is already speaking with Master Wayne. Do you wish to join her?" he asked, stepping aside to allow Starfire to enter.

"Actually, I would rather wait for her," Starfire replied. "Could you tell me where to find the restroom?"

"Up the stairs on your left," Alfred answered. "Make yourself at home; I will get you when Miss Sanders is finished with Master Wayne."

"Thank you, Alfred," Starfire said with a smile as she ascended the stairs. Once she was sure he had left, she continued up to the top floor. She remembered where Bruce's study was; Robin's room had been in the same hallway. She paused for a moment outside the old unused bedroom.

"_Do you… wish you still lived here?"_

She smiled fondly at the memory of that party, taking a timid step into the room.

"_Of course not!"_

She sat down on the edge of Robin's bed and looked around. Even though it had been quite a few years since Robin had actually lived in this room, she could sense his lingering presence, and it made her smile a little more.

"_I miss the place sometimes, but I left because I wanted to be free of this life. I love being a Titan."_

She looked down at her feet, wishing she was with him. They had been apart for so long, it seemed.

"_Besides, if I still lived here, I never would have met you."_

She smiled again as she stood up. Em needed her now. She'd have plenty of time to think about him later. As she walked into the hallway, she missed a step and froze.

"I _said_ don't _call_ me that!" she heard Em shout.

Starfire floated silently toward the door, listening.

"Who was it, Batman? Who was in that coffin? And why were you there?!"

Starfire's eyes widened. Coffin? She stopped beside the door and listened silently.

Em sat down abruptly in the chair in front of Bruce's desk. She didn't feel like she could stand. "Thirteen years?" Em repeated faintly. "You mean that happened when I was four?"

Bruce sighed and looked at her levelly. "Look, I'll tell you what happened, but I'll only say it once," he said quietly. "So listen carefully and don't interrupt."

Em gripped the arms of her chair tightly to calm herself. "Go on," she replied darkly.

Bruce turned back to the window. "There was another little girl living in that town on the mountainside when you were growing up," he began in a business-like tone that drove Em insane. "She was about your age. Her name was Annie."

Em froze at the sound of that name. There was something painfully familiar about it.

"The two of you, as far as I could tell, were inseparable. Best friends since you learned to walk and talk. She was the only other child there, since Jase's family didn't move there until several months after the incident. Unfortunately, an evil magician broke out of the Gotham City prison and decided to do a little stealing on his way to Jump City. The only place along his path was your hometown. On his way to the bank, he got held up by a few of the townspeople. He was forced to use his magic on them… but he missed. Instead, the spell landed on Annie."

"He killed her?" Em asked incredulously.

"No. Her life force, the power driving the brain that some call the soul, was drained out of her. She would have survived for another few months in a hospital… maybe even a year… if her life force would have just disappeared like it was supposed to. But instead, it got channeled into the little girl she had been standing with."

Em's eyes widened. "You couldn't possibly mean-"

"You weren't born with your powers, Emily," Bruce cut her off. "You gained them when you were four."

The room was silent for several seconds as the horrible truth sunk in.

"You mean to tell me that my powers…" Em began quietly, her voice shaking in terror. "…my powers are the life of an innocent little girl?"

Bruce looked straight at her. "I'm sorry," he sighed.

"Oh god…" Em gasped, seeming to be having trouble breathing.

Bruce jumped to his feet as Em's eyes began to slide shut. "Em!" he shouted, jumping over his desk to catch her as she slid from her chair. She whispered two words before losing consciousness.

"Oh… Annie…"


	110. I Wish

**Chapter One-Hundred-Ten:** I Wish

Em woke up, but she didn't open her eyes. She took a deep breath to try to calm herself, but she couldn't. She had to admit: she was completely disgusted with herself. All this time she had been selfishly using her powers, they had been the life of a little girl. An innocent four-year-old who should not have died that day.

She cautiously opened one eye. She had absolutely no idea where she was. She was on a bed at least. The ceiling was nice enough. She decided to take a chance at the rest of the room and opened both of her eyes. She sat up slowly and looked around.

The first thing she noticed was Raven sitting in a chair next to her bed. She had fallen asleep, laying her head on her arms which were resting on the foot of Em's bed. A green cat was curled up in the small space between the bed and Raven's neck. Cyborg was snoring loudly on the other side of the room, barely fitting into a wooden desk chair. Robin and Starfire were sitting on the floor against the wall near the door, sleeping together peacefully. And in another chair directly to Em's left was a welcome face.

"Jase," Em whispered with a relieved smile. He stirred and woke from his half-sleep.

"Good morning, Sunshine," he whispered back.

Em lunged at him and wrapped her arms around his neck, smothering the beginnings of tears in his shoulder. He held onto her sympathetically. It took a while for her to calm down in which Jase's shoulder became soaked through with tears while he whispered over and over that everything would be okay. He explained soothingly to her that Starfire had told him what happened.

"You can't blame yourself," he whispered gently.

Em pulled back enough to be able to look at him. She wiped her tears away grudgingly. "All these years I thought I was born with my powers," she whispered dazedly. "But I didn't just get my powers… someone had to die…"

She nearly began to cry again, but Jase leaned forward and kissed her before the tears could come. She closed her eyes and found herself being pulled closer to him. They pulled apart and he hugged her again. The kiss had served its purpose; she was no longer crying.

She sat up after a little while. "So if Starfire followed me, how did the others get here?" she asked, looking around at her sleeping friends.

"As far as I can tell, Starfire called Robin. He came to make sure you were okay and talk to Bruce, but we all know he actually came to be with Starfire," Jase said quietly. Em smiled, so he continued. "Raven came to see how much damage had been done to your mind and… what had she said? 'To make sure time didn't have anything to do with it.'" Em nodded. Raven was the only one who knew the full details concerning time's takeover, so it was only natural that she was the one to check up on it.

"Beast Boy refused to let Raven leave without him…" Jase glanced curiously at Em. "Are those two together?" Em nodded with another smile. Jase continued. "And Cyborg didn't want to be all by himself at the Tower."

"I'm glad they're here," Em said quietly, her gaze lingering on Raven and Beast Boy. Then she turned back to Jase. "I'm glad you're here too."

"It has been awhile, hasn't it?" Jase replied bemusedly.

Em didn't reply. She just leaned forward and kissed him again.

Robin woke up suddenly. Em and Jase had fallen back to sleep. He looked at a clock on the wall. It was three in the morning. He yawned loudly and Starfire woke up.

"Oh, Star! I'm sorry, I didn't mean to wake you up," he whispered, gently brushing some loose strands of hair from her cheek.

"It is okay, Robin," she replied quietly with a warm smile. She looked around warily. "It is… strange to be back in your old room," she admitted.

"Yeah, especially considering Em's the one in the bed," Robin replied with an awkward smile. Starfire shoved him playfully and he fell over, pulling her down to the floor with him. She regained her composure quickly so she was on top of him, smiling slyly down at him.

"I missed you," Robin whispered, blushing a little as he referred to their time apart.

"Not as much as I missed you," Starfire whispered back, leaning down and kissing him. Cyborg snored loudly and they sprang apart. When they identified the source of the interruption, they both laughed lightly and repositioned themselves against the wall.

"Being back in my old room isn't _that_ strange," Robin whispered right before Starfire drifted back to sleep. She faded from the waking world smiling.


	111. A New Spin On Schizophrenia

**Chapter One-Hundred-Eleven:** A New Spin on Schizophrenia

When Em woke up again, it was later in the morning. She was alone in the room. And of course, she had a pounding headache. She sat up with a groan and pounded the heel of her hand to her forehead. "Quit bugging me!" she whispered furiously at her head.

_No thanks,_ fire replied angrily.

Em closed her eyes in frustration. _What now?_ she snapped.

_We need you in your mind,_ fire replied testily. _Now._

Em opened her eyes and remained silent.

_Well?_ Fire urged.

_No,_ Em replied. There was a pause.

_No?_ fire repeated as though she hadn't heard correctly. _What do you mean no? Everyone's freaking out! We need you!_

_No! I can't! You're…_ Em trailed off. _You're…_

_What?!_

_You're Annie!_ Em finally shouted into her mind. _Haven't you figured that out yet, fire?! You're my Conscience because you're not actually me. You're her! You're Annie! You're there because I lived and you didn't. It's my fault!_

Fire was obviously shocked by Em's reaction. _Em, please don't do this._

_You could have lived!_ Em ranted desperately. _You could have grown up and been a normal little girl. I could have been a normal little girl. We could have been best friends somewhere out here, in the real world. Because of me, we can only be friends in my brain._

_Em…_

_You remember when I was talking to you like this back when my powers got sapped by that comet? How I was talking to you and the rest of the team? Do you remember their reaction? They thought it was weird, like I was talking to myself. If I hadn't killed you, we could be talking out here, in the real world, _Em paused for a breath._ You could have lived…_

_Em,_ fire began quietly. _You didn't kill me. It isn't your fault. This has worked since you were four years old, with me in your mind, and you out there. It works, Em. I don't blame you._

Em felt tears welling up in her eyes. _But…_

_Em, listen to me,_ fire's voice sounded odd. Em realized quite suddenly that fire was crying too. Fire had never cried before. _I have grown up. Just like you. I just… didn't grow up the same way._

Em was about to say something when she changed her mind and closed her eyes. In seconds she was on the shores of her mind. Fire was hovering cross-legged over the lake, wiping her eyes. Em flew over the lake without hesitation and hugged her, breaking down completely.

"I'm so sorry!" she sobbed.

Fire hugged her fiercely back, trying to keep from crying as well. "You don't need to apologize for anything, I promise."

"There's our girl!" Cyborg shouted as Em walked into the living room where the rest of the Titans were eating breakfast. Em smiled a little.

Starfire shot from her seat and had Em in a bone-crushing hug before she had taken another step into the room. "Oh Em I have been so worried! Do not scare us like that again!" she said, trying to sound serious while smiling with relief.

"Come on Star, let her sit down… and breathe," Robin said quietly, prying Starfire off of Em and sitting back down with her.

Em sat down between Raven and Cyborg. Beast Boy was curled up in Raven's lap in the form of a puppy. Em shot Raven a questioning glance, but Raven just smiled. Obviously, Robin and Starfire were now in the know concerning Raven and Beast Boy's relationship. Em looked around the room and noticed something.

"Where's Jase?" she asked, looking at Robin.

"He and Bruce rushed down to the Batcave about half an hour ago. There's some trouble in the city that they needed to attend to. But Bruce told me to give this to you," Robin handed Em a minidisk. Something was written along the outside edge. It said 'Do not view this until you've had enough time.'

"Thanks," Em said to Robin with a smile. She understood the message. Bruce had recorded the final details of her past onto this disk because she had passed out before he had finished telling her. He wanted her to wait until she had sorted out the information she had already received before putting in the final piece of the puzzle. Em decided she would wait. The first part of her forgotten past had been devastating enough.

"So…" Em began awkwardly. "Can we go home now?"

The Titans all smiled. "I thought you'd never ask," Cyborg replied, jumping from his seat. "I'm driving!"


	112. A Hostile Gymnasium Takeover

**Chapter One-Hundred-Twelve:** A Hostile Gymnasium Takeover

"Does anyone know what Em is up to?" Raven asked as she walked into the main room a few days later. The other Titans looked over at her.

"What do you mean?" Beast Boy asked.

"She just paid a visit to my personal apothecary," Raven replied, crossing her arms and gazing thoughtfully out the windows across the room.

"She asked for the next five days off, too," Robin added. The others turned to him. He shrugged. "She's been under a lot of stress lately with the Annie situation. I figured she just needed a break."

"Where is she now?" Starfire asked.

"I think she went to the grocery store," Cyborg replied.

"Is she going into hibernation or something?" Beast Boy suggested with a mischievous grin as Raven sat next to him.

"Hey, I'm not the one who can turn into animals," Em said from the door as she walked in with a grocery bag in her hands. She walked straight through the room and out the other door, heading in the direction of the gym.

The Titans stared at the door she had left through, all wearing identical looks of confusion. She returned barely a minute later and walked through the room again, leaving in the direction of her room. When she hadn't come back after another minute, they all turned back to each other, exchanging mystified glances.

"Any ideas?" Beast Boy asked after a short silence.

"Nope," Robin, Raven and Cyborg said in unison.

The door opened again and the Titans all whipped around. Em stood in the doorway, but she didn't look like Em. She was wearing a completely different outfit. She wore a white sleeveless robe that reached down to her ankles and had slits up the sides so it hung loosely around her bare legs. A white sash was tied around her waist. She was barefoot, but her hands were wrapped up to her elbows. Her hair was up in a loose bun. The Titans stared. They had never seen her with her hair up, for one, but that was nothing compared to her new getup.

"Uh, Em? Are you feeling okay?" Robin asked awkwardly, having trouble keeping himself from staring at her legs. Starfire glanced over at him and followed his line of sight with her eyes. She made a small sound of indignation before shoving him off the couch without so much as looking at him. She smirked at Em, who smiled back. Beast Boy burst out laughing.

"Yes, I'm feeling fine," Em replied lightly.

"Then what's going on?" Raven asked curiously. "Taking five days off, borrowing jars of herbs I didn't even know I had, taking groceries into the gym, and now a new fashion statement?"

"It's not a fashion statement," Em replied. "It's the customary garb of female sages who watched over the ancient elemental temples."

The room fell silent as Robin pulled himself back onto the couch. Em cocked an eyebrow.

"Um, come again?" Cyborg finally said.

Em smiled in an exasperated sort of way. "Control of the elements is an ancient art. It has been practiced for centuries, and it must be honored and respected. The elements are powerful, and to control them one needs to have control over oneself first. It takes a fit body and a balanced mind. It requires some degree of inner peace. Lately," Em paused before continuing rather frankly. "I've been having some problems with the 'inner peace' part. So, I'm taking five days to perfect the five basic elements: fire, water, ice, electricity, and wind. I would train with earth too, but that isn't easily done in the gym."

"The gym?" Robin repeated when he had regained his composure.

"Oh yeah, did I mention I'll be taking over the gym for five days?" Em said with an innocent smile.

"Five whole days?" Robin seemed to be having trouble comprehending the idea.

"Yep. Tonight at midnight, I go in and begin to meditate. At four in the morning, I stop meditating and take half an hour to eat. Then, I train until nine thirty at night. I eat for another half hour, and then I meditate again. At four in the morning, it starts all over again."

"That sounds intense," Cyborg said truthfully.

"It is," Em admitted. "But it's exactly what I need."

It was midnight. Em walked down the hall toward the gym. All of the exercise equipment was in the hallway. She needed the entire gym for what she was doing. She reached the door and peered in. The room was very dark and very empty. She smiled and surveyed the space critically. It could have passed for a dojo. The only items in the room were over in the corner: a small tray that she would eat on, a small sauce pan, a tea kettle, a rice bowl, chopsticks, and a teacup. Next to those things were her grocery bag and the jars of powders she had borrowed from Raven. Ten small black bowls were set in a circle in the middle of the floor.

Em moved quickly into the room, leaving the lights off. She took one of the jars from the corner and poured some of the red powder into each bowl. Then, she settled in a cross-legged position in the center of the circle and changed into her fire element. She sat up very straight, closed her eyes, and inhaled deeply. When she exhaled, the powder in each bowl caught fire. She inhaled again, and the flames shrunk slightly. Then she exhaled again, and they flared. Inhale, exhale. She settled quickly into meditation. Inhale, exhale. The flames fell, then rose. Inhale, exhale. Just breathe.

In Raven's Room, the empath was sleeping peacefully, gently holding a green lion cub like a teddy bear. Inhale, exhale. Cyborg was recharging, having a dream about a different superheroin. Inhale, exhale. In Robin's room, Starfire was asleep in the Boy Wonder's protective embrace, while he himself was sleeping just as contentedly against her. Just breathe.


	113. Elementress In Training

**Chapter One-Hundred-Thirteen:** Elementress in Training

As Em meditated, she sorted slowly through her mind. The Titans had noticed that she had been acting eerily normal for the past few days considering what she had just gone through. It was true, though. Em had been putting on an act for the sake of her friends. The entire time, she had been in complete and utter turmoil. Yes, the short talk with her fire element had helped. But these wounds would not heal so easily.

_I am Annie,_ she thought firmly. Admitting it was the first step. _Nothing can be done to change the situation. It's in the past, and the past cannot be changed._ She inhaled sharply and the flames in the bowls around her nearly went out. She let the breath out slowly, allowing the fire to grow again.

_It is not Em's fault that I died,_ she thought, struggling to maintain her calm. _We were both only four years old, we could not have known what would happen. _She inhaled deeply and held her breath for a moment. _But I can't say the same for that magician._ She released her breath quickly in a moment of anger and the flames leapt two feet before she settled back into her rhythm.

_What's done is done. I just have to put it behind me. Deal with it and move on._ She clenched her fists and sparks erupted from the bowls. _Deal and move on._ She drew in a deep breath, willing herself to calm down. _So I was murdered when I was just a child, big deal._ The flames began twisting and contorting in their bowls, forming tight coils and pillars of fire as she squeezed her eyes shut more tightly. _Big freaking deal._ The miniature cyclones of fire began lazily twisting higher and higher. _At least I'm still here._ They spun faster and faster, illuminating the dark room and surrounding Em in a flaming cage. _Sort of._ The cyclones abruptly dropped back into their bowls, leaving the room dark and cool for a moment before the small fires returned to their regular size. _Just deal and move on._

At four o' clock, Em opened her eyes. The flames in the bowls vanished immediately. All of the powder had burned away. She stood up and cleared the bowls away, placing them back in the corner. Her breakfast was comprised of sticky rice, fruit, and tea. Simple, healthy, and filling in small portions. The true breakfast of a sage.

When she was finished, she turned the lights on in the gym. The place looked even emptier when it was lit up. She stood in the middle of the room and closed her eyes, finding her center. She opened her eyes again and took a deep breath. Then she began to move, slowly and gracefully, as though going through some kind of martial arts form. The only difference was the burst of flames brought forth from her hands and feet with every kick and punch. She didn't do any of the shouting either, but inhaled with every leading movement and exhaled with every strike. The meditation had done its job; her mind was clear and she was very relaxed. Every move seemed to come naturally as though she'd done it a thousand times. _Just breathe._

It was another two hours before anyone else woke up. And surprisingly, that person was Cyborg. He sat up, scratching his head. "Why in the world was I dreaming about _her?_" he wondered aloud. "I've been thinking about her a lot lately too…" He stopped to ponder for a while longer, but his stomach grumbled loudly, so he put the thoughts out of his mind and made a beeline for the kitchen.

The next to wake up was Raven. She sat up slowly and stretched. Then she noticed that Beast Boy had fallen asleep in her bed and was currently curled up on one of her pillows in the form of a lion cub. She smiled a little and decided to let him sleep.

Robin woke up when he heard his name. He felt pressure on his chest and quickly opened his eyes. Starfire had her eyes closed tightly. Her forehead was pressed against his shoulder and she was breathing quickly. The pressure he had felt was from Starfire clutching the front of his shirt. She was obviously having a nightmare.

"Robin…" she groaned quietly, pulling herself closer to his side and clenching the hand on his chest into a fist.

"Star," he whispered, stroking her back. "Star, wake up, it's just a dream."

She shivered when he touched her, but didn't wake up. "Let him go," she muttered so quietly he barely heard her. "Please… let him come home to me…"

"Starfire," he said a little louder, sitting up and giving her shoulder a brisk shake.

Her eyes flew open and she looked surprised to see him. "Robin!" she shouted in relief, wrapping her arms around his neck and hugging him.

"Star, you were having a bad dream," he said, resting his hands on her waist. "Why did you keep saying my name?"

Starfire's cheeks colored slightly. She looked down. "I… it is not important, it was merely a nightmare after all."

Robin raised an eyebrow. "Don't lie to me," he said with a smile.

Starfire rolled her eyes and sighed, trying to sound exasperated. She draped her arms casually over his shoulders and looked straight into his eyes. "Must you always be like this?" she asked, smirking slightly.

"Like what?" Robin replied curiously.

"Like you," she said matter-of-factly as she leaned closer.

"Oh no, don't think you can distract me," Robin laughed, leaning away.

"Hmph," Starfire muttered indignantly, shoving him impatiently and crossing her arms haughtily. "You are very stubborn."

"Aw come on, you know you love me," Robin replied.

Starfire smiled in spite of herself. "Fine, I shall tell you what I was dreaming about. But you must promise not to be angry," she said warningly.

"Promise," Robin said quickly.

Starfire took a breath and looked away. "I dreamt that Mr. Wayne- er, the Batman, was taking you away from me," she sighed.

"Starfire, why would I be angry?" Robin replied, pulling her into a hug. "Besides, you don't have to worry. I'll never leave you."

"Promise?" Starfire asked warily, voice muffled because her face was buried against his neck.

"Promise."

Em was picking up speed in her training. Every time she turned, she got a little faster and her movements became more refined. She never flew, preferring to train with the regular restraints of gravity. Her steps were complex, but she seemed to breeze through them, never faltering or tripping over her feet. She had been going without stopping for a long time. Her first chance for a break occurred when she heard the door of the gym open. She was surprised to see Robin and Starfire in the doorway. She stopped.

"Hey guys," she said calmly, her voice and breathing showing no sign of what she had just been doing.

Robin noticed that she wasn't breathing hard at all and was both impressed and curious. "Uh, hey," he replied. "Do you mind if we come in?"

Em looked hesitant for a moment.

"I just want to see what you're doing," he added hastily.

"Uh, sure, I guess," Em replied with a shrug.

Robin and Starfire sat down on one of the benches that lined the walls. "So, what is it that you're training for exactly?" Robin asked.

"My technique," Em replied. "It's all about the breathing."

Robin and Starfire both looked confused, so Em smiled mysteriously. "Watch this," she said. She took a deep breath and held it. While holding her breath, she did a spin kick. A small burst of flames trailed after her foot for a mere second before dying out. She let out her breath. "Now, compare and contrast, if you will," she continued in a jokingly yet maddeningly superior way. She inhaled deeply, then exhaled as she kicked. A brilliant wheel of flame shot off from her foot as it came back down.

"See?" she pointed out with a satisfied smile. "It's all about the breathing."

"Whoa," was all Robin could manage to say.

"I had no idea you could channel your powers through your feet!" Starfire exclaimed excitedly, feeling much more vocal than her stunned companion.

Em smiled a little. "I can channel it through a lot of things. Weapons, my nose, my mouth…"

"Nose? Mouth?" Robin repeated in bewilderment, finally regaining his voice.

Em took a deep breath and closed her mouth, exhaling through her nose. Twin jets of steam blasted straight down. She took another deep breath, opened her mouth wide, and blew another stream of steam at the wall.

"What, you can't breathe fire?" Robin asked faintly.

"Are you kidding? I'd burn my throat!" Em replied as though he was crazy, obviously not taking it as a rhetorical question.

"But why haven't you used these methods before?" Starfire asked.

"I'm not very good with them, in all truth," Em admitted. "That's why I'm training. My hands are the easy part. Now, I need to train the rest of my body. I used to use my feet a lot." Em smiled a little as she remembered. "Before I gained my electric element, I used my fire element to fly. My feet acted like booster rockets. The flames propelled me up, and my balance allowed me to change direction. It took up a lot of energy though."

"Now, I'm working more with my balance as well," she said. She did a small part of the graceful form she was doing before they had come in. "When all this is over, I'll be much more powerful. Balanced, peaceful, agile, flexible, and strong. It's just what I need."

Starfire was hopping excitedly on the bench. "Em! Could you teach me this breathing technique? I feel it might help me in battle!" she asked joyously.

Em smiled. "Sure thing, Star." She looked over at Robin. "Wanna join us?"

Starfire looked over at him too. "Oh please try it, Robin! It will be fun!"

Robin smiled. "Alright, I'll try it," he agreed. They both stood up and moved to the middle of the gym. Em positioned them next to each other, both facing her.

"Stand up straight," she advised first. "Close your eyes, and find your center." They both did as she instructed. "Now, you need to learn how to breathe correctly. You breathe with your diaphragm, not your stomach. Now, inhale." She watched them carefully. "Starfire, you're breathing with your stomach. Try again. Robin, slow down, you're going to hyperventilate if you keep that up."

After a few minutes, they both had the breathing down. Em took her place back in front of them. "Now, open your eyes, and pay close attention to what I do." They both looked at her. She made a fist and began to draw her arm back. "As you prepare for a punch, you inhale slowly," she said, inhaling as she pulled back her arm. "Then, as you move forward in the strike, you exhale. Not too quickly, but not too slowly." She stepped forward with her right foot and her arm shot forward. They heard her exhaling as she moved. "Now you try."

Over the next hour, Em taught them the basics of balanced breathing. She showed them how to breathe when they punched and kicked in various ways. She gave Starfire a few pointers on the best way to breathe when she was firing her starbolts. She even tried to show Robin a better way to breathe while he was using his bo staff. When they were done, they invited her to join them for lunch, but she declined. She couldn't leave the gym during her training. So they thanked her and left. She smiled a bit, but then refocused on her goal.

She started in where she left off on her form. _It's all about the breathing._


	114. Oceans Apart

**Chapter One-Hundred-Fourteen:** Oceans Apart

Robin and Starfire went to the main room for lunch where they found Raven and Beast Boy sitting cross-legged on the couch, facing each other. They were both smiling and looked very at ease.

Robin smirked a little. "What have you guys been up to?" he asked.

"Just… talking," Beast Boy replied truthfully. Raven and Starfire both smiled.

"You know, I just noticed that Cyborg is now officially the only Titan without… you know… someone," Robin realized awkwardly. The others looked suddenly rather thoughtful. It only lasted for a second, though, because at that point the doors of the main room burst open.

"I'm going to Steel City, see you guys in a couple days, bye!" Cyborg shouted extremely quickly before departing and closing the doors behind him.

"Have a nice trip!" Starfire shouted several seconds later, shattering the bewildered silence Cyborg had left in his wake.

Robin glanced over at Raven and Beast Boy. "Any ideas?" he asked slowly.

They both shrugged. "I'm pretty sure Em won't know either," Raven added as Robin began to turn back to the gym.

"Probably not, but I'd still like to check-" he began, but Starfire's hand was suddenly on his shoulder.

"Let it go, Robin. You're not getting the gym back," Beast Boy said.

"Besides," Starfire added haughtily. "You do not need the gym to relax."

Robin smirked and took her hand.

"I don't even want to know," Raven said clearly as they walked out the door.

"I want to know why Cy's going to Steel City," Beast Boy added vaguely, looking at the door.

Ten o' clock came around at last, and Em finally switched out of her fire element and into her water element. She smiled and sighed as an immense calm washed over her. She took her seat once again in the dark gym, surrounded by bowls. This time, however, they were filled with water.

Em closed her eyes. She inhaled and small whirlpools formed in the bowls, pulling the water downward. She exhaled and the water stopped spinning. The surface of each bowl became glassy once again until she inhaled. The process repeated again and again. She sank into a state of complete relaxation.

The hours ticked by slowly. She felt so calm, so at peace with everything. It was extraordinary how much her water element affected her. So serene…

At four in the morning of the next day, while Em ate her breakfast, Cyborg was arriving in Steel City after driving through the night. He let himself into the Tower and made straight for the main room. When he reached it, he looked around for a moment before recalling the correct door to go through. He stomped down hallway after hallway until he came to a door at the end of a corridor near the top of the Tower. He stared at the door for a moment, reading the name on it over and over again angrily. Finally he banged a metal fist on it.

"Wake up!" he shouted. After a few minutes of furious pounding, the door shot open to reveal an extremely disheveled Bumblebee.

"What- Cyborg?" she stopped in mid-yell, confusion replacing her anger.

"Why do I keep thinking about you?!" he shouted at her.

"What? What are you talking about?" Bumblebee replied warily. "What are you doing here?!"

"I'm always thinking about you or dreaming about you, and I have other things to worry about!" Cyborg continued furiously. "Leave me alone!"

"Well maybe you should leave me alone first!" Bumblebee shouted back, drawing herself up to her full height and poking him angrily in the shoulder. "Maybe you won't get out of my head either! Ever think of that, Sparky?!"

"No, I didn't!" Cyborg yelled. "Maybe it's because you like me!"

"Well maybe it's because you like me!" Bumblebee shot back.

"So are you saying you like me?" Cyborg continued shouting.

"Maybe. Are you saying you like me?"

"Maybe."

They stared at each other, seething, for another moment.

"So we both might like each other," Bumblebee grumbled warily.

"I guess," Cyborg replied cautiously.

"You came all the way here to tell me that?" Bumblebee asked.

Cyborg nodded, refusing to look at her and instead staring resentfully down the hall.

"Well…" Bumblebee continued softly after a long, uncomfortable silence. "That was uncharacteristically sweet of you."

Cyborg's eyes widened when he felt her lips on his cheek. He glanced over and saw that she was up on her toes with her hands on his shoulder and her eyes closed. She was blushing quite a bit, and Cyborg found himself reddening as well as she pulled back and watched him warily, waiting for his reaction.

He finally smiled. "Just because I'm half robot doesn't mean I don't have a heart," he said.

"So you're not a Tinman after all," she replied with a smile.

"Em?"

Em looked over at the door. She had settled back into her form and had been working for a few hours. Beast Boy poked his head into the gym.

"Yes?" she replied, stopping with a shimmering sphere of water revolving between her hands.

"I just wanted to see how you were doing," he said, sidling into the room. "Training with your water element?"

"Yeah," she replied, returning her eyes to the sphere of water. She spread her hands apart slightly and the orb shifted. It changed shape as she moved her hands as though she was manipulating clay. Beast Boy looked around and noticed the ten water-filled bowls against the wall.

"So what exactly are you doing?" he asked.

Em extended her arm toward the wall and the water shot in the direction she pointed. It splashed into one of the bowls. "Working on my control over water," she said. "It takes some energy to condense enough moisture in the air to create water."

Beast Boy looked at her blankly. Em smiled a little.

"There is always moisture in the air," she explained. "To create water that I can use in battle, I have to condense that moisture and gather enough to create water."

She clapped her hands together and then slowly pulled them apart. When her palms were nearly a foot apart, she stopped moving and concentrated on the space between. After a few seconds, a silvery ribbon seemed to spin out of nowhere. It twisted and coiled into an orb the size of a marble. Then it gradually began to grow. After just a few seconds, a softball-sized sphere of water was hovering between her hands. She pulled her hands further apart, manipulating it into a long ribbon. She moved one hand behind her back and the other in front of herself and the ribbon spun around her quickly. She continued manipulating it so it flared over her head and around her hands until she shot it straight at Beast Boy. He gasped and ducked just in time. It splashed against the wall and formed a puddle on the floor. Em burst out laughing.

"Sorry!" she gasped between laughs. "I couldn't help myself."

Beast Boy was about to indignantly reply when she waved her hand and the water rose from the floor and shot back into one of the bowls.

"Well I'm impressed," he said with a nervous grin, moving inconspicuously toward the door. "And I'm going to leave now at risk of getting drenched. Have fun!"

He ran out the door. Em smiled.

"Whoever first said 'a sage's lot is a lonely one' obviously hadn't met the Teen Titans," she said to herself bemusedly before taking the water from one bowl and continuing her training.


	115. Fairytale Reality

**Chapter One-Hundred-Fifteen:** Fairytale Reality

The next day, Cyborg returned early in the morning. He was in an extraordinarily good mood and seemed to be having trouble concentrating on anything. He completely ignored the rest of the Titans when they asked him why he had run off. They knew not to pry, however. If he was happy, nothing bad could have happened.

He joined Beast Boy and Raven when they went to check on Em around noon. She was training in her electric element. It was potentially dangerous for them to be in the room considering electricity's hyperactive tendencies, but Em had her powers under control.

Starfire, on the other hand, was looking for Robin. She found him in his room training. She rolled her eyes and sighed bemusedly.

"Robin Robin Robin," she mock-chided. "Must you push yourself so? You take life far too seriously."

Robin stared at her for a moment. She wore a mischievous smirk, gazing at him in a way that made him blush slightly. But he smiled and walked behind her, covering her eyes from behind and leaning against her.

"Don't look at me like that," he said airily, smiling.

"Like what?" she replied, trying not to laugh as she struggled to escape him.

"Like you know all of my innermost secrets," he said, spinning her around and pulling her against him, hands on her waist.

She laughed out loud and placed her hands on his shoulders. She gazed straight into his masked eyes and drew very close to him.

"I'll look at you however I want," she whispered defiantly, closing her eyes and moving in to kiss him. He had barely felt her lips touch his when she pulled away. His eyes snapped open to see her standing a few feet away, smirking once again.

"Let's take a walk," she said casually.

Robin was about to protest, but Starfire took his hand and leaned up toward him. He could feel her lips brushing his ear when she whispered, "_Let's take a walk._"

Robin smiled. "Well, what are we waiting for?" he asked. "We're going on a walk."

Em stopped her form momentarily when she saw Robin and Starfire walk past the open doorway of the gym. Beast Boy, Cyborg and Raven all looked as well. They were holding hands and their heads were bent together as they whispered to each other, wearing identical smiles. They didn't even notice the rest of the Titans watching them.

Em's voice rang out through the silence a few moments after they heard the main doors close, causing all of the Titans to jump. "And while Cinderella and her prince did live happily ever after," she began in a flawless British accent. "The point, gentlemen, is that they lived."

Raven smiled. "I couldn't have put it better myself."

Meanwhile, Robin and Starfire had just reached downtown. They walked along a little-used side road, talking and laughing and altogether enjoying each other's company. They didn't notice someone watching them from a rooftop above.

"So why did you want to take a walk?" Robin finally asked, stopping and turning to face Starfire.

"I like the fresh air," she replied, drawing up very close to him and smiling.

"Oh really? And it had nothing to do with getting away from the prying eyes of our teammates?" Robin asked with a smirk, leaning toward her.

"Robin, really, I trust our friends," she said in mock indignation. But she smirked right back. "Though I will not say you're wrong," she whispered. She closed the distance between them.

"Well what do you know?" the young man on the roof whispered to himself. "I think I've spotted my target."

Robin and Starfire didn't notice he was there until he dropped to the ground right next to them. They jumped apart.

"Hello there, Titans," the boy said.

"Who are you?" Robin asked.

The stranger was on a hover board and wore a white jumpsuit with spiraling black stripes. He had black goggles over his eyes, spiked white hair shot with black, and large metal cylinders over his wrists covered in buttons and screens, looking for all the world like compact control panels.

"My name is Amnesiac," he replied. "And it would appear that I just figured out your greatest weakness."

"No…" Starfire whispered.

Robin pulled Starfire behind him. "If you hurt her, I'll be the last person you ever see," he growled.

"You have no idea what I have in store for you," Amnesiac replied with an evil grin.


	116. Amnesiac

**Chapter One-Hundred-Sixteen:** Amnesiac

"I do not intend to find out," Starfire growled, jumping out from behind Robin and shooting her eye beams at Amnesiac.

In seconds his hover board was off the ground. Starfire took off after him.

"Star, wait!" Robin shouted after her. "We don't know what this guy can do!"

But she wasn't listening.

"So you're the one who took the bait first," Amnesiac said, sounding amused as he nimbly avoided everything she threw at him. "Then you'll be the one to pay the price."

He pushed a few buttons on his right arm and his hand glowed red. He shot a massive laser burst at her before she could react. She was unconscious before she hit the ground.

"Starfire!" Robin shouted, running toward her. But Amnesiac dropped out of the sky in front of him.

"You're next, Bird Boy," he said, shooting Robin with his cannon. He flew ten feet and crashed into a wall. He regained consciousness immediately, but couldn't quite move yet. He watched as Amnesiac walked over to Starfire, who was still lying on the ground.

"Get away from her," he muttered. He had meant to shout, but he couldn't quite do that yet either.

Starfire groaned as he reached her. Amnesiac seemed to find it amusing. He crouched down next to her and placed his left hand on her forehead. Her eyes opened slightly and she tried to sit up, but couldn't move.

"Star…" Robin groaned, still trying to stand up.

"Say goodbye to your dear Robin," Amnesiac said quietly to her. He pressed a button on his left wrist panel. There was a bright flash of red light and Starfire became very still.

Robin stumbled to his feet, only to fall back down on one knee. "What did you do to her?!" he shouted, regaining his voice.

"Oh don't worry, she's still alive," Amnesiac said. He acted as though he found it quite funny. "My work here is done… for now."

He jumped on his hover board and took off before Robin could say another word. He struggled back to his feet and pulled out his communicator while staggered toward Starfire.

"Titans, we have a situation. I'm sending you the coordinates of an enemy who got away. Track him down and get him straight to maximum security. Watch out for his wrists, they shoot stun lasers," he said quickly.

"Dude, what happened? Where's Starfire?" Cyborg asked worriedly.

"No time, just catch him!" Robin replied, snapping his communicator shut when he reached Starfire's side. He dropped to the ground beside her.

"Star?" he said quietly. He reached up and felt for a pulse. He sighed in relief. She was still alive, but didn't seem to be conscious. "Starfire?" He leaned over her and brushed some of her hair behind her ears. She finally stirred slightly.

"Star!"

Her eyes opened and she gave him an incredibly confused look.

"Starfire, don't scare me like that," he muttered fervently, carefully pulling her into a sitting position.

"I thank you for your concern," she replied, scooting away from him. "But… who are you?"


	117. Too Good To Be True

**Chapter One-Hundred-Seventeen:** Too Good to Be True

Robin stared at her. "Star, did you hit your head when you fell?" he asked warily, reaching toward her.

"I wish for you to stay away from me until you tell me who you are," Starfire replied harshly.

"Star… it's me, it's Robin," he said desperately.

"I do not know anyone by that name," she replied coolly. "And I warn you, I am not at all defenseless if you plan on attacking me."

"Starfire, I… I would never attack you," Robin said. He had no idea what to do, what to think. Starfire couldn't remember him. He couldn't digest that fact. He refused to believe it. Starfire… _his_ Starfire… could never forget him.

"I am afraid I cannot take your word for it," she replied, moving further away from him.

As Robin watched her scramble backwards, he realized that this wasn't some sort of joke. She had forgotten who he was. He didn't know how to react. He just sat there, staring at her. Then, suddenly, he felt a terrible wrenching in his chest. Ah yes, right on time. His heart was breaking.

"Amnesiac," Robin said suddenly. "He must have erased your memory."

"What are you talking about?" Starfire asked warily. "I have not forgotten anything. I am a Teen Titan. I have been one for over five years.

Robin felt as though he couldn't breathe. "He didn't erase your memory," he choked. "He erased _me_ from your memory."

Even though she didn't recognize him, Starfire couldn't help but feel a surge of tenderness upon seeing this strange boy so upset. Her eyes softened as she watched him. He pressed the heels of his hands to his eyes like he was trying to wake up from a bad dream.

"Perhaps my friends can help you," she suggested softly.

Robin looked up. "Of course! If they've caught Amnesiac, he can restore your memory!" Robin said, his heart leaping with a sudden hope. He pulled out his communicator and Starfire gasped.

"Where did you get that?" she asked in confusion.

"I'm a Titan," Robin replied quickly.

Starfire checked to make sure he hadn't stolen hers. Unless this boy had robbed another Titan, he was telling the truth.

"Cyborg, did you catch him?" Robin asked urgently.

"Yeah, we just got him, why?" Cyborg replied.

"I need you to bring him here. I'll send you our coordinates," Robin said quickly. "And hurry. We have a big problem." He closed his communicator before Cyborg could reply.

"What is going on here?" Starfire asked. She was beginning to get very confused.

"Don't worry, Star. The rest of the Titans are coming. We'll sort this out soon enough," he replied with a warm smile.

Starfire couldn't help but smile back. She didn't understand it. She had no idea who this boy was, but he seemed so familiar.

Raven, Beast Boy and Cyborg arrived on the scene in a few minutes with a bound and gagged Amnesiac in tow. Robin walked up to them and explained the situation quietly. They all stared at him, then stared at Starfire.

"Friends, what is wrong?" she asked as she stood up.

"You… you seriously don't remember Robin?" Cyborg asked warily.

"So you do know who this boy is?" she replied, looking at Robin.

Beast Boy's mouth fell open.

"Starfire, come on, you must remember him a little," Raven said. "He's the reason you can speak and understand English."

"What do you mean?" Starfire asked.

"When we found you, you kissed Robin to absorb the English language," Raven said.

"I do not recall," Starfire replied. "I thought I just knew English."

Robin had remained silent the whole time. Starfire looked at him. He was staring at his shoes. Once again she experienced an unbidden surge of caring toward him. She even moved a step toward him before she realized she still didn't know who he was.

The other Titans were watching her curiously. Robin didn't seem to notice.

"Em's still training?" he asked, refusing to look at Starfire. Cyborg nodded. Robin sighed. "I'm going to have a chat with Amnesiac." He walked slowly over to where Cyborg had dropped him without so much at glancing back at the Tamaranian girl.

"Robin…" she whispered to herself, willing her apparently lost memories to return.

Cyborg laid a hand on her shoulder. "It's okay Star, we'll sort this out," he said quietly.

"So, you've figured it out," Amnesiac said, sounding pleased with himself.

"Put her memories back," Robin said in a quiet-but-deadly sort of way. "Now."

"I'm afraid I can't do that," Amnesiac replied seemingly enjoying the whole ordeal.

"Can't or won't?" Robin growled.

"Can't," Amnesiac said with a grin.

Robin took a few deep breaths to keep himself from strangling Amnesiac.

"Then what can I do?" he asked, trying desperately to stay calm.

"I suppose they might be restored by very strong stimulation," Amnesiac said thoughtfully.

"Meaning?" Robin said through gritted teeth.

"You need to trigger her memories somehow, and they'll all come back," Amnesiac said. "And I'm not answering any more questions. Can I go to jail now?"

Robin groaned angrily. "Could you guys take care of this? I'm going home," Robin said to the others.

"Sure thing," Beast Boy said.

Starfire silently watched Robin walk down the street and disappear around a corner. She made up her mind and took off after him.

"Robin?" she said hesitantly when she had caught up to him.

Robin didn't turn around. He continued walking. "Yes?"

"It is… quite a way to walk back to the Tower," she said quietly, walking along behind him. "Do you want me to bring you back?"

"No thanks," he replied, still refusing to stop and look at her. "I just need some time alone."

Starfire stopped. "…Very well," she said quietly, taking off and soaring back to the Tower.

Robin kept walking, staring at the ground in front of him.


	118. Feminine Advice

**Chapter One-Hundred-Eighteen:** Feminine Advice

Robin stormed into the gym, planning on beating all of his anger out of the punching bag. But he had forgotten one thing.

Em stopped her training abruptly when he came in, her golden eyes locking onto him and searching his expression immediately.

"Robin, what's wrong?" she asked quietly.

"I just-" he began. He stopped and took a deep breath, running his fingers through his hair. "I need the gym."

"No," Em continued quietly. "You need someone to talk to. And I will be glad to provide."

"I don't need to talk, I need to exercise," Robin grumbled back.

Em scowled dangerously at him. "Sit," she said.

Robin sighed, knowing she would nag him until he did what she wanted. He sat down on the floor and Em sat in front of him.

"What happened?" Em said softly.

Robin recounted the events of the morning. When he finished, he sighed again and stared at his hands. Em had listened silently.

"Oh Robin," she whispered. "I'm so sorry."

"I…" Robin began. "I just keep thinking…" He paused, unable to continue. He took a moment to sort his thoughts and looked up at her. "What if she never gets her memories back? What if it's over?"

"Robin, it isn't over," Em said soothingly. "Starfire loves you. Somewhere inside she's truly, madly in love with you. Something like that doesn't just go away. It will all come back to her."

"But how?" Robin said desperately. "I feel so helpless…"

"You need to stimulate her memories," Em said thoughtfully.

"I know that," Robin said quickly. "I just don't know how."

"Maybe if she falls in love with you again, she'll remember," Em suggested.

Robin stared thoughtfully at the floor. "That seems logical enough," he admitted. But he faltered. "But… what if she doesn't?"

"Robin, I know you don't like taking advice from people, but please hear me out," Em said quickly. "You are in need of some feminine advice."

Robin sighed again and nodded grudgingly.

"First of all, do not fawn over her and push her to remember," she began sharply. "She'll get freaked out and distance herself from you."

Robin nodded slowly.

"Second, don't go all gloom-and-doom and lock yourself in your room," she continued. "It won't help anyone."

Robin shrugged resignedly.

"And most importantly," Em paused, staring straight into his masked eyes. "Just be yourself. She fell in love with you before, she will again."

"Be myself?" Robin repeated vaguely.

"She's the only person you really open up to," Em pointed out. "In the beginning when you were teaching her about the earth, you taught her more than you thought."

Robin looked at her questioningly.

"When you were showing her the world, you were showing her the true nature of your personality," Em explained. "She fell in love with your gentleness and compassion as well as your bravery and loyalty."

Em stood up and smiled, offering a hand to him. "Just be yourself," she repeated.

Robin took her hand and she pulled him to his feet. He was smiling a little. "Thanks, Em," he said. "I hope you're right."

"Come on, am I ever wrong?" Em asked, raising her eyebrows and smirking.

Robin laughed. "Nope, never."

Starfire walked up to the open doorway of the gym, but saw Robin there and quickly ducked out of the way to listen.

"Don't worry," Em said quietly. "She'll remember."

Starfire perked up slightly when she realized they were talking about her.

Robin nodded absently. "I still love her," he said boldly. "Even if she doesn't love me."

Starfire felt very strange upon hearing his words. She felt like she should love him even though she didn't. It was very confusing and gave her a headache, so she returned to her room.


	119. Learning To Chill

Sorry this is a day late. For some reason wasn't letting me upload any documents.**  
**

* * *

**Chapter One-Hundred-Nineteen:** Learning to Chill

Robin had trouble sleeping that night. Considering the circumstances, he could hardly be blamed for it. He dozed off occasionally, but sleep never found him.

Next door, a certain alien princess was having the same problem. She, however, didn't understand why. She felt as though something was out of place. In the back of her mind, she knew something was missing. She was oddly lonely, and her room felt much more empty than usual. She eventually dozed off.

Around eight in the morning of the next day, Robin had been awake for several hours and decided he needed to ask Em a few more questions. He knocked on the door of the gym.

"What?" was the hasty reply.

"Uh, Em? Can I talk to… you…" Robin began as he opened the door. He trailed off when he found the floor covered in ice and the room freezing cold. "Uh oh."

Em stared at him with ice blue eyes, her breath making clouds in the air. "What?" she repeated irritably.

"I, uh, wanted to talk to you, but…" he trailed off again.

"Yeah. Not gonna happen," she replied shortly. She lazily twirled her fingers in the air, forming a perfect snowball. Her chilling gaze returned to him. "Do you mind?"

Robin quickly shut the door and heard the snowball smash against the metal. He sighed in relief. Em's ice element was not a people person.

Robin returned to the kitchen and found Starfire sitting at the table, gazing out the windows. He sighed and walked over to the counter.

"Good morning," he said, giving her a smile.

Starfire jumped, not having heard him come in. "Robin!" she gasped.

"I'm sorry, Star," he said quickly. "I didn't mean to scare you."

"Star?" she said quietly.

"Yeah, I've always called you-" Robin stopped. "Uh, you don't mind if I call you Star, do you?"

"No, not at all," she replied vacantly. She looked confused.

"Are you okay?" he asked quietly, concern prominent in his voice.

"I…" she began, looking down. "Robin, may I ask you something?"

"Sure, anything," he replied with another smile, sitting across from her at the table.

"The way our teammates reacted when they found out you had been erased from my memory leads me to believe that we were very close," she said carefully. "And I was hoping you could tell me."

Robin watched her silently. He began slowly. "Yes, Star. We were very, very close," he said quietly, staring at the table. "The truth is, we were…"

Starfire stared at him, anticipation sparkling in her eyes. "Yes?"

Robin sighed, refusing to look up at her. "We were together, Star," he said finally.

"…Together?" she repeated slowly. She had figured it was something like that when Robin had said he loved her, but she hadn't realized it had been mutual.

"Yes," he replied dully. "For a long time."

"How long?" she asked warily.

"Four and a half years," he continued.

Starfire was shocked into silence.

Robin finally looked up at her and saw, to his surprise, that she looked frightened. "I'm sorry, Star," he said quickly, realizing how she must have felt. "I didn't mean to lay all of that on you at once."

"No," she said, shaking her head slowly. "I asked, and you told me the truth. I am grateful that you were honest." She paused, looking confused again.

"Are you okay?" he asked quietly.

"I feel… strange," she admitted. "I want to remember. I really want to. I feel as though I want it more than anything in the world. But I do not know how."

Robin shifted uncomfortably. "I asked Em about it," he said uneasily. "She said that you would probably remember if… you… fell in love with me again."

Starfire looked down, the same frightened look returning to her eyes.

"This won't be easy," Robin sighed. "How about we just stay friends? Don't try to force yourself to love me; that's not how it works. Come on, I'll take you to the park." He stood up and offered her a hand, smiling.

Starfire looked at his hand hesitantly. "Very well," she said after a short silence. She took his hand and he pulled her to her feet. They stood like that for a split second, eyes locked, before Starfire blushed and let go of his hand, averting her eyes quickly.

"Come on, we can take the R-cycle," he said, pretending he hadn't noticed. "Just you and me on a worry-free trip to the park. Sound good?"

"Very good," Starfire replied with a smile.

Meanwhile, Raven and Beast Boy were walking through the Tower, chatting the whole time. They came upon the door to the gym.

"What element is she training in today?" Beast Boy wondered, placing a hand on the door to push it open. "It's freezing!" He pulled sharply away.

"It must be her ice element," Raven said, looking shrewdly at the door. "We should probably steer clear of her."

"Don't have to tell me twice," Beast Boy said hurriedly as they continued down the hall.

Em stood very still in the center of the gym, breathing slowly. Her ice element was very calming, if not rather difficult to put up with. She moved one hand slowly through the air, ice trailing from her fingers. After a moment, she settled into her rhythm again, inhaling and exhaling on every other beat. Only one more element to go.


	120. Wouldn't It Be Lovely?

**Chapter One-Hundred-Twenty:** Wouldn't It Be Lovely?

On their way to the garage, Starfire was oddly quiet. However, when they were nearly there, she asked quietly, "Robin? What is an 'R-cycle'?"

Robin stopped. Once again it became painfully clear that she had forgotten everything that had anything to do with him. Everything. "Uh, the R-cycle is my motorcycle," he explained as he started walking again. "I don't like riding in the T-car when we're tracking someone, so it's my way of getting around."

"Motorcycle?" Starfire repeated, sounding a little nervous.

Robin smiled a little. "You don't remember riding it before, do you?" he said, saying it more as a statement as a question. "So this will be like your first time."

She nodded silently.

"Don't worry, I'll take care of you," he said, smiling.

She blushed again, but found herself smiling back. "I know."

They walked into the garage and Robin sat down on the R-cycle. He handed Starfire a helmet. "Sit right behind me," he said, patting the seat.

Starfire glanced at the seat doubtfully. She sighed resignedly and sat down behind him. He smiled a little and put his helmet on. She did the same.

"Now, hold on to me and don't let go," he said, revving the engine. She hesitantly placed her hands on his shoulders, making sure there were at least two inches of space between his back and her front. "You might want to grab onto my waist," he suggested.

"I believe I will be fine," she replied boldly. He shrugged and lifted his leg off the ground. The motorcycle shot forward. She gave a little shriek and he stopped. She wrapped her arms around his waist and pulled herself against him, burying her face in his back. "You may proceed!" she said, her voice muffled by his cape.

He smiled again and moved forward, picking up speed much more gradually this time. Once they were out in the city, Starfire plucked up enough courage to take a look around. She leaned her head back, beginning to enjoy herself, though she still clung to him. Robin didn't mind. In fact, he rather enjoyed having her this close.

He was a little disappointed when they reached the park and she pulled away from him. She smiled as she handed him her helmet.

"That was quite exhilarating," she admitted.

"Flying must be a lot more fun though," Robin said thoughtfully as he stood up next to her. He gestured toward the path that led through the park. "Shall we go?"

Starfire smiled again. "Thank you for bringing me here," she said quietly.

"It's no problem," Robin replied, returning her smile.

Silence fell between them as they began to walk. After a short while, however, Starfire spoke up.

"Did we… come here often?" she asked timidly, carefully avoiding looking at Robin.

Robin understood her meaning and smiled a little. "Yeah, we did," he said quietly.

Starfire stopped walking, but Robin didn't notice until he felt her hand on his shoulder. He stopped and turned around. Starfire was looking at him sadly.

"Robin…" she said. "I am so sorry…"

"For what?" Robin replied, bewildered.

"For forgetting about you," she said, sighing. "I believe I have hurt you."

"Star, it's not your fault," Robin said, smiling a little. "You shouldn't apologize. Sure, it hurts a little, but I have hope that we can get your memories back somehow."

Starfire looked over at him, not showing the amazement she was feeling. How could one person be so… gentlemanly seemed like a vast understatement. He was so at ease with her, even though he made her nervous for some reason. She couldn't understand it. She had known him less than twenty-four hours, but she felt so safe with him. She couldn't deny it, there was something profoundly strange about the way he made her feel, but she found him completely fascinating.

The two of them spent the rest of the day together, talking as they walked through the park. Starfire wanted to know more about Robin since he already knew everything about her. They discussed casual things, nothing deeply personal about either. As the sun began to set they returned to the R-cycle.

"I find it unfair, Robin," Starfire said as he handed her a helmet. "You know my weakness, but I have yet to learn yours."

Robin sat down on the motorcycle and Starfire sat behind him. He turned and looked at her. "I thought it was obvious," he said, smiling. Starfire's eyes widened slightly and she blushed. Robin put his helmet on and revved the engine. Starfire grabbed him around the waist, still blushing slightly, and they sped back home.


	121. Strength In Versatility

**Chapter One-Hundred-Twenty-One:** Strength in Versatility

Em sat down to meditate that night, having gotten quite sick of her ice elements brisk nature. She sighed contentedly as she switched to her wind element, the last element she would be training with.

Em liked her wind element. She was very quiet and timid, yes, but she was easy to talk to. She was never mean-spirited, the very opposite of her ice element. She always did what she believed to be right and good for others. But despite her appearance, she was enormously powerful.

The Titans didn't know much about Em's wind element. Em rarely used her. So it was only natural that they would have no idea that she was Em's most powerful element of the ten.

Em inhaled slowly as she settled into her meditation. Small balls of rapidly revolving air formed in each of the five bowls around her. They contracted slightly when she breathed in. She exhaled and they expanded. This pattern continued all night as Em inched closer and closer to achieving the peace she so wanted.

Robin and Starfire both tossed and turned through another restless night. Even Raven had difficulty sleeping because of their unsettled minds. Cyborg drifted to sleep easily, dreaming about a certain girl he had grown quite attached to by then, having called her communicator every day since his visit to Steel City to talk to her while conveniently forgetting to tell the other Titans. Beast Boy peacefully slept for the same reason, but dreamt about a different girl. All in all, as Blackfire had so eloquently put, the place reeked of raging hormones.

Em woke up at four in the morning for the last time. She ate her breakfast quickly. When she finished, she took her position in the center of the room and took a deep breath. Fire and wind were the two elements that were helped the most by her breathing, water coming in a close second, so it was important that her lungs were prepared for the work ahead.

The silver-eyed Titan began her form very slowly today, working carefully and shifting her weight gracefully as she moved through the stances. She kept tempo perfectly, listening to the music in her head. She smiled a little as she formed a large ball of air between her hands. She stretched her arms down until the ball was spinning on the ground, kicking up clouds of dust. She pushed all of her weight into her hands and kicked off the ground, using the spinning of the ball as momentum as she spun into a flip and snapped her arms forward as soon as she landed, sending the ball flying across the room as though thrown from a trebuchet and then watching it dissipate as it hit the wall. She kept her rhythm through the entire maneuver and shifted to the next one without missing a single step. Her wind element was the most difficult to control, the most complicated to master, and the most fun to use. It was a very versatile power.

Several hours later, the rest of the team began waking up. Robin was first, as usual, followed by Starfire and an uncharacteristically disgruntled Raven. Beast Boy and Cyborg woke up some time later, and nobody seemed to notice Raven sending furtive glances in Beast Boy's direction, regarding him thoughtfully while avoiding speaking with him. After breakfast, with lack of anything better to do, the Titans decided to have a movie day, just the five of them. It was something they hadn't done in a long time. They all had a wonderful time, sitting there on the couch, just like the days before Em had stumbled into their lives. Yes, they were glad to have Em on the team, but it was still nice to relive the memories of the old team. Before Em, before the Titans East, before Terra, before Slade, before all of it.

After the movie, they dropped in on Em to tell her they were going out for pizza. Robin knocked on the door of the gym, the other four Titans standing behind him, waiting to see what Em was doing with her wind power.

Robin opened the door. "Hey Em, we're going for pizz…a?" he trailed off in surprise as he watched. The rest of the Titans peered curiously through the doorway to see what he was looking at.

Em was near the far left wall of the gym, channeling a huge stream of air through the room. It was like a long twisting tube of fast-moving wind. She was so focused on it that she hadn't even noticed the others. The noise was immense, like a tornado or a rushing river condensed in a can.

As they watched, Em took several steps away from the wall and moved her arm in a wide sweeping motion around her left side, bringing the huge tunnel of air in a circle around herself. It twisted into a vortex, spinning insanely fast with her in the center, eyes closed and a relaxed smile on her face as her hair and robe whipped around her. She stretched her hands up over her head and brought them slowly back toward the floor. The cyclone gradually petered until it stopped altogether. She sighed, satisfied, and opened her eyes. She jumped.

"Oh! I'm sorry, I didn't see you there," she gasped, blushing as she hastily smoothed out the front of her robe and her eyes widened in a profoundly innocent way. Her silver hair had come free of its bun, falling loosely around her shoulders. She had never looked more at one with her element and her natural side, and any of the boys would have unabashedly admitted that the style fit her well. The Titans very rarely saw her wind element, so they were pleasantly surprised by such a show.

"It's fine," Robin assured her. "We were just coming to tell you that we're going to get pizza."

She smiled a little embarrassedly. "Okay, have fun," she said quietly, her voice light and silvery.

"See you later," Cyborg said as they left. She waved a little.

The Titans all piled into the T-car. As soon as they were all buckled in, they began discussing what they had just seen.

"I don't think I've ever actually spoken to Em's wind element," Robin said. "She looked so…" He trailed off. A thoughtful silence followed his words.

"Happy," Beast Boy finished for him. The rest of the Titans nodded slowly. It was the best word to describe the way she looked. Happy. Really, truly, completely happy.

"I've never seen her so happy like that," Raven admitted. "In any of her elements. She was so… content. So peaceful."

"It was quite remarkable," Starfire consented. "I had no idea her wind element held so much power. But it seemed so natural to her."

"Yeah, and with her hair down like that, she looked hot!" Cyborg exclaimed. Robin and Beast Boy nodded fervently. Raven cast a quick look at Beast Boy but said nothing, letting a heavy silence fall over her as she gazed despondently out her window. Starfire sat up a little straighter and glanced at Robin in a confused sort of way. He reddened slightly and avoided her eyes, staring rigidly though the windshield.

Meanwhile, Em was exactly as they had said. She was happy. Her mind was calm and peaceful. She began humming to herself, a content smile still on her face and her hair tumbling around her shoulders as she moved. At the moment, it seemed as though she had indeed accomplished what she had originally intended. She was so at peace with everything around her. It was as though she was part of the very air in the gym. She closed her eyes, still humming and smiling. Her training had devolved into merely spinning around the gym in a sort of light-hearted dance. She eventually laid down on the floor and continued humming, reveling in her good mood. There was something profound about her wind element, something extraordinary that Em couldn't place. But whatever it was, it made her glad to be alive.


	122. Life Or Something Like It

**Chapter One-Hundred-Twenty-Two:** Life or Something Like It

Midnight was always very quiet at Titans Tower. Everyone was sleeping. Except for Em. Her training was finally complete. The clock struck twelve and she switched back into her normal self. She breathed a sigh of relief, closed her eyes, and keeled over, sleeping soundly before she hit the ground.

Starfire woke up three hours later. She had been awoken by a bizarre dream she couldn't recall and didn't seem to want to fall back to sleep. So she got out of bed and walked into the hallway. All of the bedroom doors were closed, each one blocking a sleeping Titan from view, except for Em's of course. Starfire paused. Was Em still meditating, or was it over? She didn't know when Em's training would end. She decided to stop by the gym and see for herself.

The door of the gym silently slid open a few inches. Starfire peeked in. Em was sprawled on the floor, drooling. Starfire smiled bemusedly and went to fetch a blanket for her barely conscious friend. She crept into the gym and laid the blanket carefully over the barefoot Titan. Em, deeply asleep as she was, probably would have slept through an earthquake, so Starfire's presence remained unknown. Starfire leaned back against the wall, watching Em's back rise and fall slowly as she breathed.

"I wish you were awake right now," Starfire whispered to her snoring companion. "I could use some of your advice." Starfire watched her thoughtfully for a few more moments. "How did you ever become so wise?" she continued. "Sure, you do not possess extensive knowledge concerning technology or animals or art or fighting as the rest of the Titans do, but you seem to know so much about something much more important."

Starfire paused, trying to find a word that would encompass all of the things Em did and said. She danced in the rain, she reveled in the sun, she could lie for hours in the freezing snow, she saw beauty in all seasons and all sorts of weather. She found subtle joy in the world itself in a way that the rest of the Titans didn't. She understood what others were feeling and how to help them in times of need. She was always so willing to offer advice, even though she was too stubborn to take it. Starfire knew that Em suffered inside, but she never complained, she never let the others know of the many dark secrets she was drowning in. But that was just part of who she was. That was just part of _what_ she was. That was just another part of that something that she knew so well…

"Life," Starfire whispered at last. "You understand life, Em. You see how precious life truly is. You act as though you have lived a thousand years, but you are no older than me. You say things and do things we have always wanted to do, but never found the strength to go through with. How do you do it, Em? How have you lived the lives of a million people in a mere seventeen years?"

Starfire stared at Em as she slept on. She was just a girl. Emily Sanders was just one girl out of billions on this earth, not to mention those of Tamaran and all the other worlds out there. She was just a human, and a young one at that. She had seen horrors that most had never seen and would never see. She had faced trials very few had faced before her. But she was still just a girl.

So why did Starfire see so much more when she looked at her, sleeping on the floor? What made her different? What made her so… her? It wasn't her superpowers. It wasn't her white eyes or her lean muscles or her snoring which was slowly becoming louder and more irritating. So what was it?

"So tell me, Em," Starfire whispered even more quietly. "What is it about you that is so profound? Why are you such a mystery, when you are just a girl?" Starfire yawned, finally feeling as though she could sleep. "How did you ever become so wise?"

Em's snores fell silent. All Starfire could hear were her slow, even breaths. The Tamaranian yawned again and stood up. She walked silently back to her room, hoping Em would awaken tomorrow and be willing to give her the advice she desired. She paused in front of Robin's door. A strange feeling gripped her, as though her stomach did not want to stay in one place. Yes, advice was one thing she desperately needed.

Em woke up abruptly the next day. "I'm up!" she said sleepily, opening her eyes and taking a bleary look around. Her brain didn't quite want to start up yet. "Where the heck am I?" she asked no one in particular, looking from her blanket to the door in confusion. When everything clicked back into place, she recalled having a strange dream. Starfire was talking to her about… life? She shook her head briskly and smiled. She was free. Her mind was clearer than it had been in years and she had never felt more alive. She shot up from the floor and ran flat out to the main room.

Em burst through the doors and all of the Titans turned around in surprise. Em stretched out her arms and legs, took a deep breath, and jumped into the air.

"Yeah!" she shouted happily. "Man it feels good to fly!"

"It's good to have you back," Raven said with a small smile.

"It's good to be back," Em replied frankly, unable to touch down on the ground and staying aloft, spinning through the air. "I have to get outside!" She was through the door and on her way up to the roof before another word was said.

Cyborg and Beast Boy looked at each other briefly before running off after her. Raven shrugged and followed. Starfire leapt into the air as well. She looked back at Robin curiously. He was still sitting.

"Are you not coming?" she asked him tentatively.

"I dunno…" he began.

"Oh please come, Robin! It will be fun!" Starfire burst out, smiling and grabbing him by the wrist.

Robin couldn't help but smile and follow her to the roof.

Em raced to the roof, burst through the door, and took in everything as fast as she could. She breathed deeply, reveling in the fresh air. She stared at the endlessly blue sky and its reflection in the bay, smiling.

"Mmm… isn't it great to be alive?" she sighed when the others joined her on the roof.

They were all slightly taken aback by the question. It wasn't a common thing to ask. But they all nodded. Em smiled and took another deep breath. Yep, it was great to be alive.


	123. A Thousand Yellow Daisies

**Chapter One-Hundred-Twenty-Three**: A Thousand Yellow Daisies

Later that evening, when the rest of the Titans had returned to whatever they had been doing, Starfire went back to the roof. Em was sitting on the edge, her back to the door, legs hanging over the side. Starfire sat down beside her and saw that Em was still wearing a smile.

"What are you thinking about?" Starfire asked quietly, finding Em's smile to be contagious.

"Trees," Em replied simply. Starfire raised an eyebrow. "They're beautiful. Have you ever just watched the trees?"

Starfire shook her head.

Em smiled a little more. "The slightest breeze brings them to life. It's hypnotic, the way they move in the wind. All of those shimmering green leaves swaying on their branches, almost like they're dancing. When it rains, they shine. And when the fall comes, they become even more beautiful. They're like most humans in that way." Em paused when Starfire shot her a questioning glance. "They show their true colors just before they die."

Starfire didn't know what to say. Em just continued staring out at the brilliant sunset, smiling.

"You know, I kind of feel like I never really grew up," Em admitted, her eyes softening slightly as her gaze shifted from the sky to the water below. "Even after seventeen years, the world amazes me. I feel like every day is my first day here. There's always something new and extraordinary to see and understand. Does that answer your question?" she added, glancing over at Starfire.

Starfire was surprised. "What question?" she asked in bewilderment, having been quite content just listening.

"Why I'm such a mystery even though I'm just a girl," Em replied, turning back to the sunset wearing a knowing smile. "How I became so wise."

"You… you were awake?" Starfire stammered, suddenly embarrassed.

"No, I just remember it. Like it was a dream or something," Em said, shrugging. Starfire didn't reply. At long last, Em broke the silence. "I'm nothing special, you know," she said, her smile fading as she looked at her feet. "I just… see the world differently."

Starfire seemed satisfied with the answer, because she merely smiled in response.

"So, what do you want to talk to me about?" Em asked, remember Starfire mentioning that she needed advice.

"Well, I wanted to ask you about…" she trailed off.

"Robin?" Em suggested, smiling. Starfire nodded, blushing. "I don't mean to brag, but I offered a helping hand in getting the two of you together in the first place."

"Really?" Starfire asked vaguely, sounding dazed.

Em nodded, smiling as though recalling a fond memory. "We were sitting right here on my first morning at the Tower," she said. "I wasn't a Titan yet. And I asked you what was going on between you and Robin. The way you two acted around each other… I was sure that you were dating or something."

Starfire blushed furiously for some reason. She looked at her feet, carefully avoiding looking at Em.

"But you said you were just friends," Em continued. "Classic. Stuck between friend and… uh… friendlier."

Starfire's eyes widened. "I… but…" she stammered, having no idea how to reply to that.

Em laughed a little. "Calm down, I didn't mean it in a bad way," she said. "So what did you need advice about?"

"How will in know if I fall in love with him?" Starfire blurted.

"Well I assume you'd just… know," Em replied thoughtfully. "There's not much else to it I guess… you're the one here who has actually been in love before."

"But what about-?" Starfire began.

"Jase? I don't know that I'm in love," Em replied, shrugging again. "We'll just have to wait and see."

"But you do not have any idea what it feels like?" Starfire urged.

"Well I've told Raven before that being in love is like finding balance-- like a happy medium," Em said thoughtfully. "But falling in love… That's a different story."

"Is it?" Starfire asked, sounding dazed again.

"Yeah, at least that's what I think," Em replied. "Falling in love is like… well… everything that makes you happy in one convenient package."

Starfire glanced at her, confused.

"It's like the way the air smells before it snows, or how the world looks just after it rains," Em began. She smiled and continued. "It's like starry nights and warm summer evenings, the silence that falls when it snows and crisp fall mornings, the summer sun in the clear blue sky and the wild beauty of thunderheads rolling toward the sunset, dew drops on an overcast morning and frost in pale sunlight, laying in dark wet grass to stare at the moon and watching the ocean climb up the beach on cool mornings before the sun rises, dancing barefoot through the streets during a downpour and seeing the first star in the night sky."

Starfire gazed at Em like a child listening to her favorite bedtime story. Em had her eyes closed as she went on, smiling all the while.

"It's like laughing so hard you start crying and a thunderstorm in spring… it's like…" she trailed off.

Em opened her eyes. Starfire was still staring at her, captivated.

"A thousand yellow daisies," she sighed.

"It sounds amazing," Starfire said at last, breaking Em out of her reverie.

"Wha… oh, yeah, it does," she said vaguely. Maybe she was in love with Jase. She sure seemed to understand what it felt like to fall for him.

"Em? Are you okay?" Starfire asked, noticing Em's sudden change in behavior.

"Yeah, I'm fine…" Em said rather unconvincingly.

"If you are sure…" Starfire said, looking curiously at her. "I am going back inside. Are you coming?"

"Um… I think I'll stay up here a bit longer," Em replied, smiling again. "It was nice talking to you.

"Thank you for your help," Starfire said, smiling as she stood up. "I will see you later."

The door slammed shut behind her and Em's gaze returned to the sky. She smiled.

"A thousand yellow daisies…" she sighed, leaning back a little and waiting for the stars to appear.


	124. Animal Magnetism

**Chapter One-Hundred-Twenty-Four:** Animal Magnetism

Em slept on the roof that night, lying out under the stars. She loved being outdoors after being cooped in the gym so long, so nobody could blame her.

Starfire had a strange dream. She was angry at Robin for something. Raven went and talked to her, after which she found Robin on the roof. They spoke for a short time, and Robin hugged her. She looked at him and began drawing closer to him until-

BOOM!

Starfire jerked awake. Lightning flashed past her window. It was raining hard. Thunder rumbled across the sky. Starfire gasped.

"Em!" she whispered to herself, jumping out of bed and neglecting to put her shoes on in her haste. She found Raven in the hallway. She had obviously had the same thought as Starfire. The two of them went straight for the roof. When they opened the door, they saw something they hadn't expected, though looking back they should have.

Em was standing in the middle of the roof, hands stretched up toward the heavens and her face tilted toward the sky, letting the rain wash over her. She heard the door open and looked over, unable to keep the smile from her face.

"Hey girls, come to join the party?" she called over the thunder. She laughed joyfully as the rain became a little harder.

Raven and Starfire exchanged a doubtful look, but then Em turned back away from the door and spread her arms wide, closed her eyes, and laughed again. Something stirred in both of the girls and they both smiled. The two of them stepped cautiously through the doorway. The flood of rain immediately soaked them through, but rather then finding it annoying and going back inside, they both started laughing. Even Raven found herself unable to contain her smile.

After a short while of spinning around in the rain, they all sat down on the roof, rain pounding on their shoulders. Raven was looking thoughtfully at Em.

"You've been acting different lately," she said.

Em glanced over at her. "What do you mean?" she asked, smiling a little.

"You've been so easy-going, so relaxed, like you love every minute you spend awake," Raven continued.

"That's what five days of meditation does to you I guess," Em replied, shrugging. "My inner child has reared her little blond head."

"You used to be blond?" Raven asked with a smirk.

"Yes, I was born blond," Em replied in a mock-defensive way. "But my hair turned brown as I got older. What?" she laughed as Raven smiled a little more.

"Nothing," Raven said, letting a light laugh escape her. "I just never imagined you to be _blond_."

"Shut up," Em laughed, and Starfire joined in, shaking with suppressed giggles.

"What about you?" Em said, turning the conversation on Raven. "You've been acting different too."

Raven's smile faded. "How so?"

"There is something bothering you," Starfire said. "What is it?"

Raven blushed a little and looked down. "I… it's just… Beast Boy," she admitted finally.

"What about him?" Em asked quietly.

"I've been having trouble sleeping," Raven said. "Because of Robin and Starfire."

Starfire blushed and opened her mouth to say something, but Em silenced her with a quick shake of her head.

"So I meditate. And I've been picking up on Beast Boy and Cyborg's dreams, because their rooms are adjacent to mine," Raven sighed. "Cyborg keeps dreaming about Bumblebee, and Beast Boy's been dreaming about…" She trailed off for a moment, then sighed and continued. "Terra."

Em groaned quietly. "That stupid shapeshifter…" she muttered under her breath. Starfire shot her a warning glance, but Raven hadn't heard her.

"He still has feelings for her," Raven continued with a shrug. "So I think I should just end whatever we have going. It's what he wants, I can tell."

"But Raven," Em replied, shocked. "What about you? What do you want?"

"I want him to be happy," Raven said resolutely, though she refused to look at either of them.

"This is not like you, Raven," Starfire said. "You are acting very unlike yourself."

"You're right," Em said to Starfire, glancing suspiciously at Raven. "What's going on? You're acting like I usually do. It's weird."

Raven looked up at them, her normal apathetic glare back in place. "Alright, fine. I don't want to get hurt again. Happy?" she asked grumpily.

"That's our Raven!" Em said, smiling brightly.

"If you truly believe that is what you should do, then go ahead," Starfire said loyally. "But I do not want you to get hurt either."

"Neither do I," Em offered. "Think about this before you do it, okay? Promise?"

Raven sighed, sounding distinctly frustrated. "Fine, I promise." But then she smiled a little. "I didn't realize you two were so concerned about me."

"Of course we are!" Em said. "We're sisters, that's what we do."

"Sisters?" Starfire said doubtfully, thinking of her own sister.

"The good kind of sisters," Em amended hastily, smiling. "You know, the ones that aren't related and put up with each other voluntarily."

Raven and Starfire laughed. Em just smiled.

A few days later, Raven had made her decision.

"Beast Boy?" she called, knocking on his door.

Beast Boy opened his door, looking as though he had just woken up. "Hey Raven, what's up?" he yawned.

"I need to talk to you," she said. Beast Boy noticed that her hood was up. Something was wrong.

"Okay, what's on your mind?" he asked, smiling.

"You still have feelings for Terra," she said bluntly.

Beast Boy had no idea how to reply to that. He just stared at her, mouth hanging open a little.

"So I think we should go our separate ways," she continued nonchalantly.

"That's quite an ultimatum," Beast Boy said finally, laughing nervously.

"Beast Boy, please just tell me you have feelings for her," Raven said, her voice finally betraying her facial expression.

Beast Boy looked at her thoughtfully. "Okay, I do," he admitted quietly. "But I told you, I'm not going to break your heart."

"You aren't," Raven said, smiling a little. "I came to you, didn't I?"

Beast Boy looked doubtful.

"You have to admit, our relationship has been kind of awkward," Raven continued.

Beast Boy nodded a little reluctantly.

"It just wasn't there for us, Gar," she said quietly. "It might be someday in the future, but it isn't now. Do you understand what I'm talking about?"

"Yeah, I felt the same way," Beast Boy admitted uncomfortably. "I just couldn't put it into words like you can."

Raven smiled a little. Beast Boy grinned, however.

"You called me Gar," he pointed out.

Raven's eyes widened a little. "I didn't really mean-" she began awkwardly.

"It's okay," Beast Boy said hurriedly. "I like the way it sounds when you say it."

Raven smiled again. "Someday, we'll be better off together," she said quietly. "But we need more time to get to know ourselves first. Deal?"

"Deal," he replied, hugging her. She was a little surprised, but she gladly returned the gesture. When they broke apart, she kissed his cheek lightly and walked down the hall.

It was strange for Beast Boy, watching her walk away from him, and he realized suddenly that he really didn't want her to. But he let her go. It was best for her, and that was what mattered most.


	125. Chasing Angels

**Chapter One-Hundred-Twenty-Five:** Chasing Angels

The next few weeks passed without incident. Em was glad to see that Robin and Starfire continued spending time together. Raven and Beast Boy were acting relatively normal, if not a little cautious around each other. Cyborg was still unusually cheerful. And as for Em, her happiness persisted.

On one particular day, however, Robin came pounding on Em's door shortly after lunch. The last time Em had checked, he and Starfire had been on a walk together. Obviously, something had changed.

"What, Robin?" Em asked urgently, trying to calm the frantic Boy Wonder as he stood panting outside her door. "Did you just run all the way here from the garage?" She looked down the hall in bewilderment before Robin placed his hands on her shoulders and turned her to face him.

"I need to talk to you," he said nervously.

Em stepped out of her room. "Come on then, walk and talk," she said, ushering him to follow her as she began to walk slowly toward the main room. Robin fell into step beside her.

"Starfire and I were taking a walk, and everything was going fine, but then I casually mentioned that I hoped she would get her memories back soon and she just stopped talking. She was all nervous the whole way home. What did I do wrong?" he finished distressfully.

"Robin," Em sighed. "She's scared!"

"Scared?" he repeated blankly. "Why would she be-?"

"Because you had the absence of common sense to tell her that she needed to fall in love with you to get her memories back," Em cut him off swiftly. "That's a big order to fill, Robin. Being in love isn't easy."

"What am I supposed to do then?" he said despondently as the two of them walked into the main room.

Em stopped in her tracks and turned to face him, directing her burning gaze at him. He looked up at her and saw the ferocity in her glare. He took a few steps back. Raven, Cyborg and Beast Boy, who were the only ones in the room, all looked over.

"Robin!" Em said loudly. "I've given you your wings! You just need to learn to fly with them, and that's something I can't teach you! If you want to be with an angel, you have to fly with her, not wait for her to come to the ground for you."

Silence followed that statement. Em's gaze softened slightly. "Angels don't like the ground, Robin. Not after they've seen it from above. And the angel you're going after has been in the sky her entire life," she said quietly. She leaned a little closer to him. "She wants someone to be up there with her. So unless you learn to fly, she'll be alone and you'll spend the rest of your life chasing angels."

Em turned toward the door. "Just spread your wings," she whispered, smiling. And with that, she walked out of the room and disappeared down the hall.

Robin stood silently for several seconds. He glanced over at the other three Titans. They were staring fixedly at him.

Raven broke the silence. "You should take that to heart," she said, still looking a little surprised. "Even for Em, that was pretty profound. She's never struck me as the type to yell at people in extended metaphors."

Cyborg spoke up. "Come on, this is Em we're talking about. She'd yell in limerick if she really wanted to," he said with a grin.

"I don't know what you guys are talking about, but Em's right," Beast Boy said. "Let Starfire take her time. Stop freaking her out, dude."

Robin opened his mouth to reply, but didn't say anything. To compensate for his silence, he cleared his throat loudly and walked out of the room. As he made his way to the gym, intent on pounding the meaning of life out of the punching bag, he stopped before a certain door. Starfire's door. He sighed and knocked quietly.

"Who is it?" Starfire called, sounding flustered.

"Uh, it's me!" he called back nervously.

The door opened about a foot and Robin found himself staring directly into the aforementioned angel's eyes. She dropped her gaze shyly.

"May I help you?" she whispered. She didn't know why she was whispering. She just felt the need to when they were alone like this, surrounded by silence. It seemed as though there was a deeply intimate connection between them in times like this. The feeling unnerved her, partially because she enjoyed it.

"I just wanted to apologize," he muttered quietly, trying to catch her gaze again. He knew he shouldn't, but he loved looking at her eyes. Before Starfire forgot him, she would merely blush a little when he became hypnotized by her eyes, but now she would become evasive and distance herself from him. He kept telling himself not to look, but he couldn't help it.

Starfire glanced up in spite of herself. Their eyes locked. Her brain told her to look away. It wasn't natural for him to be staring at her like that. But another part of her argued that it _was_ natural, considering they were in love. Starfire blinked in surprise. He loved her, yes, but she wasn't in love with him. …Was she?

"Apologize f-for what?" Starfire stammered breathlessly when she finally found her voice. She opened her door a little more and took a step toward him without knowing why.

"I keep talking about your memories," he muttered embarrassedly, subconsciously stepping closer to her. "I know I shouldn't push you like that, and I'm sorry."

"I… I forgive… you…" she whispered, realizing quite suddenly how close they were. She couldn't remember getting this far. Their lips were inches apart. How had they reached this position? How had she not felt his breath on her skin or the warmth of his body so close to hers? How had this happened?

She nearly fell over backwards in her haste to put distance between them. Robin seemed to notice their intimate position at the same time, because he sprang back against the wall.

"I… um… sorry…" Robin panted between heavy breaths before he took off running down the hall. He couldn't lose control of himself like that. How had that happened?

Starfire sagged against her door frame, breathing quickly, eyes wide. She was frightened by her reaction to him. She was still trying to figure out how she had lost herself like that, how they had almost… almost…

She blushed at the thought of kissing him. She closed her eyes and sank to the floor, finding herself lost in a daydream. She sighed dreamily. Oh how she wanted to…

Her eyes snapped open and she sat bolt upright, pushing the thought from her mind. She was breathing quickly again, and her heartbeat was racing. The daydream resurfaced, unbidden, and she blushed furiously, shoving it from her mind again. She stood up quickly, trying desperately to keep her thoughts occupied by something else, and walked back into her room. The door slammed shut behind her and she let out a groan of frustration. He got to her so easily… and yet she didn't care.

"Oh Robin…" she whispered to herself. "You do not realize what you do to me…"


	126. Where Is She Now?

**Chapter One-Hundred-Twenty-Six:** Where Is She Now?

Another few weeks passed. Robin and Starfire acted as though nothing had happened. For that matter, nobody else even knew anything had happened in the first place. Though Starfire could no longer deny her growing feelings for the Boy Wonder.

Em and Raven sat in the kitchen one morning, watching Robin and Starfire. The princess and her boy wonder were sitting on the couch, looking at a photo album to try and jog Starfire's memories. There were pictures spanning over four years. Halloween parties, New Year's Eve, days at the park, and other random pictures taken by Em and Cyborg. There was no shortage of pictures of Robin and Starfire together, happy and in love. Starfire and Robin were really enjoying themselves, sitting together and looking through all of the photos. They were laughing a lot.

Em sighed. "How could she forget him?" she whispered.

"I'd like to know why Amnesiac did such a thing," Raven muttered in reply.

"They were so in love," Em sighed. "Just like Cinderella and her prince."

"Except Cinderella was the princess this time," Raven added with a small smile. "But where is Cinderella now?"

"She's in there somewhere," Em said, smiling as she watched Starfire's eyes soften when she saw a picture of herself and Robin curled up together on the couch, sleeping peacefully. Starfire smiled wistfully and moved a little closer to Robin on the couch. He didn't seem to notice.

"I just don't understand it," Em said finally. "She's totally falling for him, but she still doesn't have her memories back."

"I don't get it either," Raven sighed.

"Maybe if Robin took off his mask…" Em began. The entire team was fully aware of the fact that Starfire was the only one who had seen Robin's eyes.

"I asked him about that already," Raven said. "He said he won't take off his mask unless she wants him to, because she doesn't remember what it represents. She doesn't know the full meaning, I guess."

Em shrugged resignedly. "Makes sense," she muttered. "I just wish there was something I could do."

"So do I, but there isn't anything that comes to mind," Raven sighed. She looked down suddenly and pulled up her hood.

Em looked over at her worriedly. "You okay?" she asked quietly.

"Yeah, I'm… fine," Raven muttered, not meeting Em's eyes. "I'm… going to go meditate. I'll see you later." She walked quickly from the room. Em looked after her, concern welling up inside her. She decided to give Raven some time, so she turned back to watch Robin and Starfire again. They were sitting remarkably close to each other. They leaned down over the album at the same time, blushed, and pulled back up quickly. Em smiled. Tension, check.

After a short while, Em got bored and went to check on Raven. She opened the door quietly, expecting Raven to be floating cross-legged over her bed. What she saw shocked her. Raven was sitting on the floor, leaning back against her bed with her knees drawn up to her chin. But that wasn't the surprising part. What shocked Em were the tears sliding down her cheeks.

"Raven!" Em gasped, running into the room and skidding onto her knees in front of her friend. "What… what's going on?"

Raven didn't answer. She just hid her face behind her knees, her shoulders shaking with suppressed sobs.

"Oh Raven," Em sighed distressfully, sitting next to her and pulling her into a hug. Raven buried her face in Em's shoulder, allowing herself to be hugged. "What happened to you?" Em whispered. She had never seen Raven like this. She had never seen Raven even close to this.

"It's just… just like before…." Raven whispered between breaths. "I'm just not good enough…"

"Raven, don't say that!" Em said firmly. "Don't ever say that about yourself! You're the most amazing person I know!"

"Malchior… he told me I was beautiful…" Raven whispered even more quietly. She was no longer crying, but she had her eyes shut tightly and was still leaning against Em's shoulder. "He just used me…"

Em didn't know what to say. She had only heard snippets of the Malchior story. Raven didn't like discussing it.

"And now…" Raven continued, wiping her eyes. "I just couldn't keep going. I couldn't… knowing that he never felt as strongly about me as he did about her…"

"But you were the better person," Em said calmly. "You told Beast Boy that you shouldn't be together, and you were right. He was too much of a coward to tell you he still had feelings for Terra."

Raven didn't reply, so Em continued.

"And he's an idiot for choosing anyone over you," she said, trying to smile.

Raven sat up and wiped her eyes. "Thanks, Em," she said quietly.

"You don't have to thank me," Em replied just as quietly. "We're sisters, remember?"

Raven smiled a little. But then she looked warily at the door, then over at Em.

"I won't tell anyone, I promise," Em said quickly, correctly reading Raven's expression.

Raven smiled. "I really need to meditate," she said, laughing a little.

Em smiled. "I'll leave you to that," she said, standing up. But she turned and looked at Raven carefully. "Don't hold that stuff in like that. If you ever feel like that again, tell me, okay?"

Raven nodded. Em smiled again and walked out the door. That was one conversation she wouldn't soon forget.


	127. The Search For Cinderella

**Chapter One-Hundred-Twenty-Seven:** The Search for Cinderella

That evening, Robin went looking for Starfire. She had disappeared around lunch, and he couldn't find a trace of her. So, of course, he went up to the roof. She wasn't in her regular place on the edge, but he felt like she was up there somewhere. He walked to the edge where she usually sat and looked around. He spotted her off in the corner of the roof, sitting in the shadow of a breeze box.

"Hey, Star!" he called, walking toward her. She jumped and looked over at him in surprise. "What are you doing up here?"

"I was just thinking," she said evasively, refusing to meet his eyes.

"Thinking about what?" Robin pried a little further, sitting down in front of her.

_You,_ Starfire thought immediately. _Our almost-kiss. That is all I ever think about…_

"Um…" she muttered, casting around for a believable lie. "Trees."

"Trees?" Robin asked doubtfully, a sly smile on his face.

"Yes, trees," Starfire said, looking away and trying to recall her conversation with Em. "Have you ever just watched trees? They are beautiful, you know."

"That's why I watch you," Robin said matter-of-factly with a casual shrug. Starfire's eyes widened and she blushed. Robin smiled. "Hey, come on, I was kidding."

Starfire forced a smile. "Yes, of course you were," she said quickly. She stared at him for a moment. Then, she determinedly said, "Give me your hands."

Robin raised an eyebrow, but extended his hands. Starfire took one of his hands in each of hers and pulled herself closer to him until their knees were touching. Then she tugged off his gloves, dropped one of his hands, and laid the other on her cheek. She closed her eyes and leaned into his touch.

Robin just stared at her. What was she doing? He felt numb, though his face was burning and his hand was tingling where it touched her skin.

She picked up his other hand and put them both on her shoulders, carefully avoiding looking up at him. She ran his hands down her arms and sighed in frustration.

"S… Star," Robin stammered finally. "What are you doing?"

"I am trying to remember," she said simply, sliding his hands back up her arms and down her back, resting them momentarily on her waist.

"What do you mean?" he continued breathlessly, tightening his hold on her waist so she couldn't move his hands anymore.

She looked up at him in slight annoyance. "I thought that maybe the stimulation Amnesiac mentioned was physical, considering the mental stimulation has not worked," she said as though it was obvious. Since she couldn't move his hands, she reached up and stroked his cheek instead. He blushed even more.

"Wait, the mental stimulation hasn't worked?" Robin said, suddenly even more confused. "What do you mean by that?

Starfire didn't answer right away. She laid her hands on his shoulders and slid them down his chest until they were over his heart. She closed her eyes and felt his heartbeat, willing herself to remember. Robin finally removed his hands from her waist and grabbed her hands instead, holding them to keep her from continuing.

"Oh Robin, have you not figured it out yet?" Starfire burst out finally, trying to pull her hands away, but he didn't let her. She closed her eyes and a few tears slid down her cheeks. "I love you, Robin!"

Robin stared at her, not quite comprehending what he had just heard. "Wait… what?" he said blankly.

Starfire tried vainly to pull her hands away again, but he held fast. "I love you, Robin," she whispered distressfully. "I have fallen in love with you again, but I still do not have my memories back. I do not even understand why I love you! I hardly know you! But I just do… without question… I love you…"

Robin didn't know what to say. His mouth opened, but nothing came out.

Starfire looked down and closed her eyes. "I want to remember," she sighed. "If you were always as wonderful as you are now, I must have been so happy with you."

"Starfire…" Robin said quietly, finally finding his voice. "I… you have no idea how good it feels to hear you say that."

Starfire smiled a little. "I am glad to have made you happy," she whispered. "I just… I wish my memories had returned."

"Then we'll just have to make new memories," he said quietly, smiling.

Starfire pulled herself closer to him, staring determinedly into his masked eyes. Before she knew it, his hand was on her waist, tugging her closer, while his other hand slid down from her shoulder to her back. She grabbed his shoulders to keep herself from falling over backward. Their lips inched closer until they were just centimeters apart, but-

"Wait," Robin said, sounding as though it had taken a lot of effort. Starfire gave a little moan of protest. "Are you sure about this? I feel like I'm taking advantage of you..."

Starfire fixed him with a fierce gaze that made him feel as though he was numb again. So, in his moment of minimal mobility, she did what was natural and pressed her lips ardently against his. Tingling warmth rushed through both of them, and Robin was left completely blown away. He had finally gotten over his shock and begun to kiss her back when she pulled away from him, bringing a hand to her forehead as though she had a headache. She closed her eyes and winced, making a small sound of discomfort.

"Star?" Robin asked breathlessly, still not quite over the kiss. "What's wrong?"

"I…" she muttered. "Oh… I…" She winced again, shuddering slightly and taking a few shaky breaths. She opened her eyes and looked blankly at him for a moment. Then her eyes widened. "Robin!"

"Star?" Robin repeated warily.

Starfire tackled him to the roof, kissing him hungrily. His eyes shot wide and he seemed unable to move, no matter how loudly his brain was screaming at him to kiss her back. He came to his senses shortly and wrapped his arms around her waist, allowing his thoughts to be overtaken completely. She came up for air and took a few deep breaths before she began kissing him again, a series of short brushes and presses against his lips, because she was trying to talk at the same time. He couldn't discern much, but what he did hear was clear.

"Missed you… so sorry… Robin… love you… cannot believe… sorry… love you so much…"

After a short while, she stopped talking and the kisses became longer, deeper, more intimate. Robin eventually sat up and Starfire made another small sound of protest. Robin laughed a little and she smiled. They were both a little flustered, breathing deeply, but Robin spoke first.

"So… I assume your memories came back?" he said with a smile.

Starfire beamed back. "You assume correctly," she said breathlessly. But then her smile faded and she looked worried. "Oh Robin, I am so sorry!"

"What for?" Robin asked, surprised.

"I forgot about you! I feel terrible… I know it must have felt so much worse for you-" she began ranting, but Robin silenced her with a finger over her lips.

"It's not your fault," he said quietly. "If you'd forgotten me on purpose I might be upset, but as it stands now…"

Starfire smiled and hugged him fiercely, burying her face in his neck. "I will never forget you," she whispered.

"Good to hear," he replied drowsily, closing his eyes and smiling.


	128. A Stormtrooper On The Front Lawn

**Chapter One-Hundred-Twenty-Eight:** A Stormtrooper on the Front Lawn

Starfire fell asleep on the roof half an hour later. Apparently, regaining her memories took a lot out of her. Ten minutes later, Robin walked down the stairs from the roof carrying a sleeping Starfire. Her arms were wrapped around his neck and her head was on his shoulder. He held her carefully with one arm behind her back and the other beneath her knees. She would move occasionally, but she didn't wake up.

Em walked into the hallway on the way to her room and froze. She looked curiously at Robin. The Boy Wonder smiled. Em beamed at him. She walked up next to him, surreptitiously kissed his cheek, and whispered, "Doesn't flying feel great?"

Robin nodded in response. Starfire made a small sound and shifted slightly, so Em walked down to her room without another word, though Robin could see her smiling the whole way.

The next morning, Robin and Starfire returned to the roof to watch the sunrise. Em visited the kitchen shortly to pour herself a cup of tea, then returned to her room and looked vacantly out the window. What she saw, however, was strange. She saw a person laying in an army-crawl in the grass twenty yards from the base of the Tower. That on its own was strange enough, but to make matters weirder, the person was dressed as a Stormtrooper. Em narrowed her eyes, looking more carefully. The Stormtrooper pulled out a tall silk top hat and yanked what looked like a black machine gun out of it.

"Ace…" Em whispered under her breath.

Ace was lying on his stomach in the grass near the Titans Tower. He was in full Stormtrooper uniform and was carrying a working replica of the guns used by Stormtroopers in Star Wars. He grinned mischievously as he took aim at the couple sitting on the roof, completely unaware of his presence.

"What do you think you're doing?" a bored female voice said from behind him. Ace let out a high-pitched feminine shriek and whipped around. Hovering above him was none other than Emily Sanders, sipping from a mug of tea and looking thoroughly annoyed.

"Oh, it's just you…" Ace sighed in relief, turning back to the sights of his cannon. He froze and looked at her again. She raised an eyebrow. He let out another shriek.

"Ah! It's you!" he stammered, scrambling into a sitting position.

"Yeah, hoorah, it's me. Now what are you doing?" she repeated apathetically, taking another leisurely sip of tea.

He pointed back at Robin and Starfire with a maniacal laugh. "I'm going to eliminate your leader and- GAH! What are they doing?! Aw, gross, my eyes!" he shouted in agony as he looked up at them.

Em glanced up at them as well. "Dude, calm down, they're just talking to each other," she said.

"I know, but they're sitting so close to each other! Ugh!" he shuddered.

Em stared at him. "Uh, where exactly did you learn to become a villain?" Em asked, feigning curiosity and taking another swig of tea. "Because you kind of suck at it."

Ace had the decency to act highly affronted. "Pardon me, madam, but I learned to be a villain- wait, I didn't really learn to be a villain specifically. Just the magic," he said with an officious nod. Then the maniacal glint returned to his eyes. "Because the magic rocks! Chicks dig the magic." He wiggled his eyebrows and grinned.

Em stared blankly at him. "You know, I think I've given you too much credit. I wasn't sure at first, but it has become painfully apparent that you are completely insane," she said lightly.

"Ouch, milady sure knows how to burn a guy," Ace replied with a knowing smirk.

Em's eyes widened, then narrowed dangerously. "The last guy who said that to me got thrown into the ocean by his hair," she growled. "Care to join him?"

"Nope, actually, I was just on my way out, so…" Ace said quickly. Then he turned and began muttering under his breath, just loud enough for her to hear. "Curses… my evil plan has been foiled by this girl… I'll get you my pretty, and your little dog too!" Then he threw back his head and cackled.

Em was staring at him again, her mouth hanging open slightly. Ace took advantage of the opportunity and stood quickly, whipping out a wand that looked similar to Mad Mod's cane, but slightly smaller. He swished it through the air and a bright flash temporarily blinded them both. When Em's vision returned, she saw that he was no longer in his Stormtrooper getup, but in his regular tuxedo, cape, and bright red Converse high tops.

"We shall meet again, Emily Elizabeth Sanders," he said, grinning. "Ta-ta." And with that, he disappeared.

Em stared vacantly at the spot he had been standing in moments before. "Elizabeth?" she whispered. "How did he know my middle name? Raven doesn't even know my middle name…"

She didn't have time to ponder this, however, because she had to run inside to avoid inadvertently spying on Robin and Starfire, who had finally started snogging.


	129. The Breath Before The Plunge

**Chapter One-Hundred-Twenty-Nine:** The Breath Before the Plunge

Life was good at Titans' Tower. Everything was going shockingly well. Nobody quite understood why. Cyborg was happy thanks to his daily conversations with Bumblebee. Robin and Starfire were happy for obvious reasons. Raven and Beast Boy were happy to be rid of the awkwardness of their relationship. Em was just plain happy.

But unfortunately, as the Titans now knew, their happiness could not last.

The Titans returned to the Tower rather tired on a regular Tuesday afternoon. Mumbo Jumbo and Johnny Rancid had gotten in a massively destructive fight when they had tried to ransack the same place at the same time, and the Titans were left to clean up the mess. It had been a big mess.

They all went straight to their rooms for some sleep time. A few silent hours later, Em was the first one awake, surprisingly. The sun was just starting to set. She looked around her room, bored, and spotted something glinting on her desk. She walked over and picked it up. It was the disk from Batman. She stared at it for a moment. Had she had enough time?

A few minutes later, Em sat down on the floor with her laptop and put the disk into the drive. Bruce Wayne's grim features appeared on the screen.

"If you're watching this, it has undoubtedly been quite some time since you last visited Wayne Manor. I want to take this last opportunity to warn you how damaging this could be if you haven't recovered yet," he said. Then he paused. Em felt like he was actually in the room staring at her. It was unnerving.

"If you haven't stopped the disk, then I assume you are ready to accept the consequences of the information I'm about to give you." He sighed, looking tired. "As I record this, you're sleeping in Robin's old room because you lost consciousness upon finding out how you received your powers. Well, that wasn't the last of what I had to tell you. I'm sure you've wondered about the magician who killed Annie."

Em's eyes widened. She had been wondering. Was he really going to tell her where he was?

"He died a few years ago. One of his spells got the best of him."

Em let a frustrated sigh escape her. He had gotten himself killed. She could imagine what Bruce was thinking when he said that. _No revenge for you, young lady._

"However…"

Em sat up a little straighter. However?

"He had an apprentice. He passed on much of his magic ability to a young man named Tyler Davis. Tyler was an orphan who had escaped from the Gotham City orphanage. The magician caught him trying to steal food from his lair and thought he had guts for trying it, so he took him under his wing."

Em listened intently, wondering where he was going with this.

"As Tyler got older, he showed no interest in the deadly and violent spells the magician was famous for. He used his magic for mischief instead, finding it to be the perfect way to alleviate his boredom. The magician died before he could twist the boy to be more like himself. Tyler is eighteen years old now, and he lives in Jump City. But he goes by a different name."

Em had never been a religious person. She didn't like the idea that there was some great all-powerful being watching over her, but doing nothing to stop all of the terrible things she saw happening every day. But when Bruce said the name of the magician's apprentice, Em knew for sure that there was someone or something in a high place, and they were laughing at her.

Her entire universe seemed to cave in around her. She was just one big cosmic joke. This, on top of everything else, was the last straw. How was one girl supposed to deal with all this? All of this pain and suffering she had seen and experienced, all of this cruel irony that seemed to encompass her entire life… it was just too much. All of the beauty and happiness she had seen in the world mere hours ago had fled. The joy she felt just being alive had been snatched away from her. There were no words to describe the pain that was wracking her, inside and out. Everything had just piled up inside her, forming this terrible weight inside her mind, and now it had finally won over the confident mask she put on for the sake of her friends. Her very existence was crushing her.

It just wasn't fair. Hadn't she suffered enough? She had lost her parents, her home, her life as a normal girl, and still the fates jerked her world around like a toy. All of the pain and horror in her past had built up until she was left hovering for years on her breaking point. But now, she wasn't hovering.

The line had been crossed.

"He calls himself 'Ace'."

Emily Sanders had finally snapped.


	130. Embrace The Anger

**Chapter One-Hundred-Thirty:** Embrace the Anger

Em retreated into herself, trying to block out the world, block out the torrent of pain. But even her mind offered her no solace from the all-consuming rage and darkness that welled up inside her. Behind all of the doors, each element was reacting differently. Fire was in a towering temper, screaming and ranting as she blasted everything in sight with angry flames. Water had involuntarily conjured up a massive cyclone of boiling water which began tearing away at her cavern. She didn't care, she was screaming too. Electricity's clouds had turned from white to black and lightning lanced all around her as she screamed and pressed the heels of her hands to her eyes, hoping it was just a nightmare. Ice wasn't making a sound, though a huge blizzard whirled around her and she sat perfectly still with her eyes squeezed shut and her fists clenched so tightly her nails broke the skin of her palms. Wind was hunched in her field, crying into her knees while her plains were ravaged by cyclones.

Earth was at the summit of her mountain range, sitting quite still and staring fiercely into space with intense hatred while earthquakes shook her mountains to their roots. Light was sobbing into her knees like wind while explosions went off all around her, creating craters in her beach and sending pillars of water up into the air. Darkness was eerily quiet, eyes squeezed shut as the palm trees of her dark beach were ripped up by their roots and thrown into the sky. Gravity was crying uncontrollably, the stars and meteors around her falling out of the air and plummeting into darkness. Time, however, was quite calm. She smiled. Her chance had finally come.

Em stood on the shore of her lake, shaking violently. She clenched her hands in her hair and screamed. The effect on her mind was enormous. The forest burst into flames. The sky became crowded with roiling black clouds. Lightning struck the ground over and over. The lake swirled and frothed angrily. Deep cracks gouged the dry ground she stood on. Em continued crying and screaming, completely oblivious to the changes.

Time walked calmly through her door and approached Em slowly. She stopped beside her and put a comforting hand on her shoulder.

"Em, it pains me to see you like this," she said smoothly. "It really does. I know what would make you feel better."

"What?!" Em sobbed angrily. "What could possibly help?! It's too much! I just can't take this anymore!"

"Give in to these feelings, Emily," time hissed. "Embrace the anger. Take out all of this rage on the world around you. This world that has caused you so much pain. All of those people out there have better lives than you, and they don't deserve it. They should share your suffering, Emily. They should go through all of the torture you are going through. It isn't fair that they don't have to."

Em looked up slightly, angry tears sliding down her cheeks. "Oh, sure," she shouted sarcastically, turning her angry gaze on time. "And what exactly do you expect me to do?"

"Destroy," time hissed encouragingly. "Destroy it all. You've lost everything protecting that city. They are to blame for all of this emptiness, all of this anger. Destroy the city."

"You know what?!" Em shouted, turning on time furiously. "I don't care what you do! Just leave me alone!"

"Alright, I will, as soon as you give me control," time replied calmly.

"Fine, whatever," Em shouted over her shoulder as she stalked into her burning forest, disappearing from view.

"Perfect," time hissed, smiling.

The Titans were watching a movie. Five of them were, anyway. They figured Em was still sleeping and didn't want to bother her. Everything seemed quiet. That is, until a huge explosion shook the Tower.

The Titans jumped to their feet. Robin raced to the window, followed closely by the others. A pillar of smoke was rising from the center of the city. Dark red flames engulfed several large buildings and were spreading rapidly.

"Titans-" Robin began, but his communicator beeped. He flipped it open quickly. The Titans gathered behind him to see the screen. A police trooper was staring back at them. Behind him, the city was in chaos. Fires burned, smoke obscured the sky. People were running from something, screaming as they went. Police troopers were dropping to the street like flies.

"Titans! We have an emergency situation! We need assistance immediately!" the trooper shouted.

"What's going on down there?" Robin asked urgently.

"The city is under attack," the trooper replied. "It's-"

The screen went black.

"Titans, let's go!" Robin shouted.

"What about-" Starfire began, glancing toward Em's room.

"No time!" Robin replied. "Whatever's happening isn't good at all. We have to get there. Now."

There were no further arguments. The Titans took off for the center of the city. When they got there, things didn't look any better than they had on the screen.

Car alarms were going off. Police, ambulance, and fire truck sirens blared. People were running every which way while police troopers tried to maintain calm. As the Titans got closer to the source of the explosion, the crowds thinned. Soon they were the only ones in the street. The road was like a valley between volcanoes, what with the burning buildings on either side of them. Finally, in the middle of the street, they saw someone. A single person standing in a ring of fallen police troopers. The figure was wearing a cloak and a hood and had its back turned to the Titans.

"Freeze!" Robin shouted when they neared the stranger.

The figure slowly turned. The Titans gasped.

Em pulled down her hood and placed her hands on her hips. "Well well well, what have we here?" she said, sounding amused. She smiled. The Titans gasped again.

Fangs.

Her eyes suddenly glowed green.

"Titans, stop her!" Robin shouted frantically. They all started forward, but it was far too late. Em raised one hand toward them.

"You're gonna stop right there," she said coolly. Her palm glowed green and everything froze. Em smiled again.

"How disappointing," she sighed. It was over before it had even begun.


	131. Strength To Weakness

**Chapter One-Hundred-Thirty-One:** Strength to Weakness

Em slowly walked past the Titans, looking at each of them with slight interest. Robin was jumping forward, pulling out a staff as he went. Raven was in the middle of her mantra. Starfire was on the verge of shooting Em with her eyes. Beast Boy was caught between his human form and his wolf form. Cyborg was frozen with a beam of his sonic cannon half way toward the place Em had been standing.

Em smirked and let a quiet laugh escape her. She didn't waste any breath, however, because she could feel the time stream draining her strength. She lifted off the ground and positioned herself over the team. With one last smile she shifted to her ice element. Time started up again, but the Titans only moved a few inches before they were drenched in icy mist and frozen solid. Em landed in front of them, smiling. She laid her communicator on the ground and changed into her electric element.

"It's on, Titans," she said, sounding amused. "Catch me if you can."

For several minutes, the streets were silent, but for the roar of the flames and distant sirens. Then, the ice on Starfire's arms and head shattered as she powered up her eyes and starbolts. She fought her way out of her frozen shell as the ice trapping Raven exploded outward in a sphere of black energy. The two girls freed their three teammates as quickly as possible, though they were unable to suppress their shivering. The cold didn't last long, however, considering the quickly spreading fires all around them.

Starfire finally managed to break Robin out of his personal prison. He shivered involuntarily. Starfire laid a hand on his shoulder. He stopped shivering.

"Is everyone alright?" Robin asked darkly. The others nodded silently. "Good. Let's review what we know."

"Em's time element has obviously taken over her mind," Raven said with a sigh. "I can't believe I didn't sense it. She must have been blocking herself off."

"That's all we know?" Robin asked despondently.

"We know she didn't waste any time watching us thaw," Beast Boy said, pointing at her communicator. Robin stooped down and picked it up.

"Spread out," he said quietly. "Search the whole city for her. She's dangerous like this, so stop her quickly. But she's tough, so don't feel guilty about using force against her." He looked over at Starfire. "Be careful."

Everyone nodded again and sped off in five different directions, doing what they could to help the burning city along the way.

"Now, who will fall into my trap first?" Em wondered to herself. She was perched atop a flaming building, looking down into the dead end below. There was only one entrance to this small clear space, and one of the Titans was bound to use it eventually. Sure enough, a certain half-robot came to a stop right where Em thought he would.

"Hello, Cyborg."

Cyborg spun around, sonic cannon ready. There stood Em, eyes blazing gold and a smirk on her face. "Em, good to see you," he said tersely.

"Is it really?" she asked lightly, walking slowly toward him and looking around with little interest. "And here I was, thinking it would be positively wonderful to see me. Well, I guess I shouldn't count my chickens before they hatch, hm?"

She stopped several feet from Cyborg and glanced over at him. "So, how are all of your onboard computers working?" she asked casually. His eyes widened. "Oops, have I struck a nerve? A mechanical nerve, anyway…" she said with mock concern.

"So that's your plan," Cyborg growled. "Take us down one at a time, using our weaknesses against us. That's very Terra of you."

Em just laughed. "I suppose it is," she said. "It's almost poetic, really. There is one crucial difference, however."

Before Cyborg could even blink, Em's hand was flat against his metal chest, feeding several thousand volts of electricity through his system. She leaned very close to him.

"Terra lost."

Cyborg hit the ground like the proverbial ton of bricks. He groaned loudly. Em crouched over him.

"You've made the mistake of underestimating me, Cyborg," she whispered venomously. "You and your friends have no idea how truly powerful I am now that Em's idiot Conscience isn't hiding behind her morals."

She yanked his arm into the air and smashed the small screen on the surface. "Wouldn't want you telling on me now would I?" she said with a vampire grin. "Time to shut down, Cy."

Beast Boy jumped when he heard a noise in a wide alley to his left. He looked over. There was Em in her earth element. She caught sight of him and ran. He followed her until the alley came to an abrupt end.

"Beast Boy, my short green shapeshifter," her voice said from right behind him. He turned quickly, shifting into a tiger and preparing to pounce.

"Calm down, I'm in no mood to fight," she said, sounding highly amused. "Now why do you suppose I'd be in my earth element? Remind you of someone?"

The green tiger froze.

"Ah yes, Terra, your special friend," Em continued, smiling a little. She cast a dangerous glance back at him. "Your greatest weakness?"

Beast Boy snarled in response.

"I thought about that, you know. Everyone else thinks Terra's rocky, if not short-lived, demise was your greatest weakness," she continued airily. Then her burning gaze was directed straight at him. "But I know better."

Beast Boy's head snapped up and his whole body went rigid, fur standing on end.

"You didn't even realize it, did you? That there is someone who affects you more deeply than your dear Terra. Someone I happen to know quite well," Em smiled at him in an almost pitying way. She sighed and shook her head sadly. "You had no idea how much you cared about her until she was at your door, ending your relationship."

Beast Boy was perfectly still as though entranced by her words.

"It's called cruel irony. The girl you thought you loved tore the girl you truly loved away from you without even lifting a finger," Em pressed on, obviously suppressing laughter. "You lost Raven because of false feelings for Terra. How sad."

Beast Boy seemed to shrink before her as she laughed.

"Have you ever seen Raven cry, Beast Boy?" she asked in a dangerously quiet voice.

Beast Boy turned suddenly back into his human form, clenching his fists and gritting his teeth as he stared hatefully at her.

"I have," she continued. "She was crying because of you."

"No!" Beast Boy shouted. "I won't listen to you! Raven doesn't cry! Least of all over me!"

Em started laughing. "The only thing worse than a lie is the truth, isn't it?" she said. Before he knew it, Em had ripped two massive slabs of pavement from the ground. He saw one coming from his left and the other from his right for only a split second before everything faded to black.

"I know you're here, Em!" Raven shouted, glancing around the empty street she stood in. She could sense Em's presence very close to her.

"Darn, you got me," her voice said from off to Raven's left. The dark Titan glanced over. Em was leaning against a flaming building, eyes burning bright red.

"You know, it's funny I should run into you," Em said casually, moving forward slowly and looking critically at her fingernails. "I just had a little chat with Beast Boy."

Raven's eyes narrowed. "Where is he?" she hissed.

"Oh, so you do still have feelings for him then?" Em replied with mock surprise. "That's interesting."

"What did you say to him?" Raven continued in a deadly calm voice.

"Well I mentioned Terra, of course," Em said simply. Raven groaned a little.

"Of course, his weakness," Raven growled.

Em laughed a little. "You still think Terra's his weakness?" she continued laughing. "My goodness, I thought at least you would know who his real weakness is. I mean, I know."

Raven watched the redhead suspiciously as she circled slowly around her.

"Still haven't figured it out?" Em was still laughing. "It's not Terra."

Raven was getting nervous, and Em could tell. She was beginning to realize who Em was talking about.

"It's you, Raven," Em finally said, laughing derisively. "I used your affections against him. You should have seen the effect it had on him. He was like a scared little kid."

"No…" Raven whispered.

"Oh yes," Em continued. "He thought I was lying, of course. You sure did a good job of driving him away."

"No!" Raven shouted. Her eyes flashed red momentarily. She shook her head briskly, trying to calm herself.

"Oops, don't get angry," Em said quickly. "It's alright. You won't have to deal with him anymore."

Raven's eyes flashed red again. "Did you hurt him?" she demanded distressfully.

"I wasn't talking about getting rid of him, even though I did," Em said calmly. "I was talking about getting rid of you."

In seconds, Raven was surrounded by pillars of flames. The fires began sucking up all of the oxygen around her. It wasn't long before she couldn't breathe. She collapsed, unconscious before she hit the ground. Em looked down at her coldly.

"Goodbye, Raven."

"Hey there, Star."

Starfire looked quickly to her right. Em was standing there smiling at her, purple eyes narrowed.

"Em, I do not wish to fight you," Starfire said quickly. Her eyes glowed green. "But I will if necessary."

"Aw, Starfire never wants to fight, does she," Em said in a mocking tone. Starfire stopped and watched her carefully. "No, she doesn't," Em continued, smirking.

"Em…" Starfire began warningly.

"You have all of that power, but you hate using it," Em pressed on. "That, my dear alien friend, is called weakness."

"Showing mercy is not a sign of weakness," Starfire said quickly, her voice laden with emotion.

"No? Well, isn't that something," Em said with an air of surprise. "Terra was right about you. You are easy to fool."

Starfire's eyes filled with tears. "Em, stop this, please," she pleaded quietly. "This is not you."

Em tilted her head to one side, innocent expression betrayed by her maliciously narrowed violet eyes. "Aw, Starfire's gonna cry," she mocked. "And it's all my fault. My my, I'm such a mean little girl."

Tears began sliding down the alien girl's cheeks. "Em, why must you do this?" she whispered.

"You know what would make you feel better?" Em hissed. "A visit with your dear Robin."

Starfire froze. Her eyes widened.

"You love him so much, don't you Star?" Em whispered. "And he loves you too. So much that he would do anything to protect you."

"What have you done to him?" Starfire demanded angrily, tears still slipping from her eyes.

"It's not what I've done to him," Em said. "It's what you're going to do to him."

"No…" Starfire began in horror.

"Robin's the one I want to finish," Em continued venomously. "You're just the bait."

Starfire's eyes widened even more, but before another word was said, she felt herself being dragged toward the ground. Her vision went blurry and the world faded into darkness.

Robin was at nerve's end. None of his team was responding. He tried tracking their communicators, but there weren't any signals. He was hoping it was just a fluke, but he knew better. He knew how dangerous Em was.

Meanwhile, Miss Dangerous herself was watching him with great interest from the crumbling roof of a building above him. She smiled her vampire smile and narrowed her silver eyes.

"Hello."

Robin whirled around. Em was leaning against the charred and crumbling doorframe of a building to his left. He stared coldly at her. She was in her wind element, which, to Robin, made no sense at all. Of course, he didn't know how powerful she was.

"What have you done with the rest of the Titans?" he asked angrily.

Em looked carelessly at the smoke-obscured sky. "In other words," she began casually. "What have I done with Starfire?"

Robin's eyes narrowed dangerously. "Don't try me, Em. I won't hold back against you, and you know it," he growled.

"I'm not worried about whether or not you'll hold back," she continued, sounding for all the world as though she was bored. "Considering you can't even touch me."

"What makes you say that?" Robin asked with dark curiosity.

Em glanced over at him, silver eyes blazing with amusement. "Because you wouldn't dare."

Robin knew at once that there was something going on here that he didn't know about. "And why exactly wouldn't I dare?" he asked cautiously.

Em smiled, directing her full attention to him. "Are you sure you want to ask that question, Robin?" she said quietly. "It could have some very painful repercussions."

"I'll ask you again if I have to," Robin roared. He was losing patience with Em and her mind games.

Em laughed softly. She reached behind her and pulled an unconscious Starfire into the open. Robin's eyes widened in horror. He started forward, stretching a tentative hand toward his sleeping princess.

"Hold it right there, Romeo," Em said, sounding maddeningly amused. She tilted the unconscious alien's head back so her mouth fell open and placed a hand a few inches over her lips. "If I feel even the least bit threatened, I pull all of the air out of her lungs. And I keep it out."

Robin dropped his hands to his sides. What else could he do?

"It must be awful, knowing that I exploited your every flaw and weakness," she continued carelessly. "Your whole team fell at my hands, and I hardly lifted a finger."

Robin looked down. He couldn't believe it. He had lost.

"How does it feel, Robin?"

The Boy Wonder looked up. Em was looking down at Starfire with an odd expression on her face. Regret? Pity? Envy?

"How does it feel to have everything you've tried so hard to protect, everything you've risked your life for… just ripped away from you?" Em was speaking in barely more than a whisper. "Everything you care for…"

"Em…" Robin began, not sure what to say.

Em laughed a little. There was no feeling it, no real happiness. She looked up at Robin with a strangely blank expression on her face.

"No one should have to live like that, suffering inside. No one should live like that…" she said quietly, her voice heavy with seventeen years of sorrow. "I guess that's where I went wrong. I kept on living."

Before he could think of what to say, he was picked up by a massive cyclone of wind. He lost consciousness on the way back toward the ground.

Em lowered her hand and closed her eyes. "I just kept on living…" she whispered.


	132. Complexities Of The Superhuman Mind

**Chapter One-Hundred-Thirty-Two:** The Complexities of the Superhuman Mind

Fire was sitting against the steaming rock wall at the back of her volcanic cave. She idly twisted loose strands of red hair around her fingers, staring blankly into space. Her volcano wasn't as hot as usual. It was as if it was no longer active. The pockets of hot water and sand were slowly cooling. Even the very rock around her was slowly losing its warmth. She knew why, of course. She hadn't moved an inch from her sitting position in hours, excluding her bout with Raven.

The last time this had happened, Em's mind had been taken over against her will. This time, however…

Fire sighed. There was nothing she could do. Em herself had upset the balance of the scale. Even if every one of her elements went to the good side, it wouldn't make a difference. Fire closed her eyes and looked down. Hot, rebellious tears slid down her cheeks. All these years she had tried to protect Em. She recalled Raven's words.

_"You can't protect her forever."_

Fire covered her eyes with her hands. She had never believed it to be possible, but she had finally failed.

The door to her volcano opened. Fire didn't look up. It didn't matter who it was. Nothing mattered anymore.

"Fire?"

She still didn't look up. She recognized that it was water's voice. It made sense. Water was the element fire was closest with, considering they had been the only two for a very long time. She heard her fellow element walking toward her, but still she wouldn't look up. Water would understand. 

She was surprised, however, when water sat down beside her and pulled her into a one-armed hug. She finally opened her eyes. Water wasn't looking at her. She was staring into space as fire had been moments before. Fire looked down. She would have smiled, but it felt as though she'd never smile again, so she merely allowed herself to be hugged.

Water would understand.

"Robin…"

Robin stirred slightly, reluctant to return to the waking world.

"_Robin…_"

He could detect a note of urgency in the voice now. Such a nice voice. So warm and familiar…

"Robin, please…"

_Starfire._

"Robin! You are awake!" Starfire sounded as though she would cry with relief. Robin opened his eyes. He tried to move his arms and legs, but he couldn't. His knees and back were sore. He groaned.

"Star?" he muttered in confusion. His mind was hazy and his thoughts moved slowly, like they were suspended in water. He heard Starfire groan as well and realized that she was most likely suffering from the same problem.

"You haven't moved in hours," Raven said, sounding exhausted. "Starfire was freaking out. She thought you were dead."

"Even though we told her more than once that Em wouldn't tie you up if you were dead," Cyborg said. He sounded as tired as Raven. Beast Boy just groaned loudly.

Robin finally opened his eyes and was greeted by a flood of garish orange light. He squinted up at the sky, only to find that it was still blotted out by roiling smoke and greasy flames. The air was thick and hot, making it difficult to breathe. Robin tried to move again, but it only caused him more pain. "What the-" he began sharply.

"Shh…" Starfire whispered soothingly. "Please do not struggle, we are all tied up."

Robin turned. Starfire was on his right, three or four feet away from him. She was sitting with her back up against what looked like a streetlight post. Her wrists were bound behind it and she was on her knees. Her ankles were similarly tied. Instead of ropes, however, she was bound by glowing red rings. On his left was Raven, tied by glowing bands of white. He craned his neck further and saw Beast Boy next to Raven, fixed to his pole by rubber straps. Between him and Starfire was Cyborg, strapped to the post by thick metal weights. Robin himself was bound like Starfire, but with thick metal cuffs. He was reminded strongly of their time trapped in Mad Mod's crazy house.

The lamp posts were arranged in a circle, with the Titans facing outward. He couldn't see the others without straining himself. He growled and flicked his index finger, expecting a lockpick to slide out of the tip of his glove. Nothing happened.

"Looking for these?"

Robin looked up. Em was crouching a few feet in front of him with his gloves and his belt in her hand. He didn't say anything.

Em straightened up and smiled a little. "You're all familiar with the ways you've been tied, I assume," she said airily. "I paid a visit to the prison. A certain British gentleman gave me quite a bargain on his wares."

_Called it,_ Robin thought darkly.

"So, what now?" Raven asked coolly.

"Hm… I haven't decided yet," Em said nonchalantly. The Titans gaped at her. "You were all just an experiment."

"Say what?!" Cyborg shouted, straining to break free.

Em looked down at Robin. "Well trained body and mind…" she said as though making a list. "Power driven by emotion…" she continued, glancing at Starfire. "Power unleashed by emotion…" she shifted her gaze to Raven. "A seamless fusion of man and machine…" she shot a sidelong glance at Cyborg. "And controlling your inner animal…" she finished, gazing at Beast Boy.

She began to walk slowly around their circle. "I have proven that they can all be overcome by the simplest thing," she said with a shrug. She stopped dead and stared straight into Robin's masked eyes. "Manipulation of mental weakness."

Robin continued to remain stonily silent. Rather than aggravating Em as he had hoped it would, she merely seemed amused.

"Terra had a knack for it," Em admitted, continuing her circuit. "But she made a fatal mistake. She didn't retrieve your bodies after she allegedly killed you. She should have known better. You are the Teen Titans, after all."

"You're going to kill us?!" Beast Boy shouted in spite of himself.

Em smiled a little more. "No. I'm not a murderer," she said simply. Robin smirked. Em noticed. "Oh yes, Robin, I know what you're thinking. 'Oh my clever and cunning sidekick mind has finally found her weakness! She has morals after all! Batman would be proud!' Blah blah blah."

Robin scowled dangerously. Em crouched down in front of him. "You've never intimidated me, Robin. That's your only power. You talk big because you used to work for a man who dressed up like a bat. And it just kills you that I'm not afraid of you," she said quietly.

"Leave him alone!" Starfire shouted suddenly, yanking on her restraints.

"Star, it's okay," Robin said quietly, looking down.

"Ah! He speaks!" Em shouted with exaggerated surprise. She stood up straight and brushed some dirt from her boots. "I'll take my leave of you now, Titans, and allow you to stew in your predicament. And by all means, try to escape. It'll be remarkably amusing, and I'm due for a laugh."

She saluted and took off, disappearing in the haze of smoke over their heads.

Robin was still staring at the ground.

"Robin…" Starfire said quietly, concern filling her voice. He didn't respond.


	133. Going Down Swinging

**Chapter One-Hundred-Thirty-Three:** Going Down Swinging

"She was supposed to have more than me."

Water looked over. Fire had finally spoken after a long and stifling silence. The two of them were simply sitting against the back wall of the volcanic cave, staring vacantly ahead.

"She was supposed to have everything," fire continued, looking down. "That was the plan. That was… our plan…"

Water remained thoughtfully silent for a minute. "It's not over," she said at last. Fire glanced up at her with an apathetic frown. Water slowly got to her feet. "If we're going down, we're going down swinging." She offered a hand to fire.

The redhead stared at her for a moment. Then she grabbed her hand and pulled herself up, wearing a half-hearted smirk.

"Vive le resistance," she said with a shrug.

Water smiled. "I see France treated you well," she commented as they made for the door.

Fire shrugged again. "I still don't know much past 'oh la vache.'"

"That plan sucks," Cyborg said hollowly, dashing another of Beast Boy's hare-brained schemes against the rocks.

"I don't hear anyone else chipping in!" Beast Boy shouted defensively. He glanced over at Raven. She had her eyes closed. "…Raven?"

"Why'd you let her get to you?" she whispered without opening her eyes.

Beast Boy wasn't quite sure how to answer. "What do you-?"

"I shouldn't be a weakness for you, Beast Boy," Raven continued quietly. "You shouldn't have let her exploit us like that."

Beast Boy wasn't sure whether to be offended or… he didn't know what else. He didn't reply, so Raven fell silent again.

Beast Boy began staring thoughtfully at the ground. The way she had said 'us' had struck him. He didn't know what to think.

"If I could just get into her mind," Raven said suddenly, loudly enough for the whole team to hear.

"That will prove difficult, considering we're all tied to lamp posts," Cyborg grumbled.

"Robin," Starfire said again. She had been trying vainly to speak to him for quite some time. But he was, as usual, being as stubborn as a mule.

"X'hal, Robin!" Starfire finally said in exasperation. "Would you please stop brooding? It will not gain you any sympathy. We were all hurt by Em, not just you, and now we need you. I need you."

Robin looked up at her with a scowl. "I'm not brooding," he said stubbornly.

Starfire glared back. "Yes, you are. Now pull yourself together, we must think of something before Em returns," she said coolly.

They all fell into silence. Occasionally, this silence was punctuated by one of them trying to break free of their restraints, but the silence always resumed momentarily. Robin was staring at his belt and gloves, which were lying in the murky dirt not four feet away. It was maddening.

As a child, Em had often visited the Jump City library, finding shelter from her punishing lifestyle in the lives of her favorite fictional characters. She found a special connection in books about orphans, like herself. Her favorites included Annie, Oliver Twist, Harry Potter, and of course, Jane Eyre. Though she found Harry Potter enchanting and read the books over and over, Jane Eyre always stood out to her. Not because of the main character, Jane, but because of a short-lived (but nonetheless important) character introduced in the beginning. This character was a young girl by the name of Helen Burns.

Em had found Helen fascinating. At Lowood Institution, she was constantly chastised by her teacher for being inattentive and sloppy, but she accepted every punishment, no matter how unjust, without a word of complaint. Em had sympathized with her, understood her, but most of all, admired her. She held wisdom far beyond her years and did not allow herself to be ruled by her emotions. But even though she was so wise at the age of thirteen, Em found her to be a fool as well.

Helen Burns held little regard for her life on earth. She instead put all of her faith in God, a god that, to Em, was not very good at his job. She strongly believed that she would go to this grand place among the angels after her death. There was no way to prove whether this was all true or just a fanciful story told to children, but Em had never allowed herself to believe it. Hope wasn't easy to come by in her childhood, and she didn't waste any of her hopes on a maybe. And yet some things that Helen said had struck a chord within the young girl. Some things nearly made her reconsider her resignation to monotony.

All of those things had, of course, been long forgotten. Hopes and dreams seemed pointless now. There was nothing but pain and suffering in this life, and beyond that, a vast expanse of unknown territory.

Em mulled all of this over in her head as she sat in her blazing forest, staring moodily at the roiling shores of the lake. She was far from the doors of her elements, secluding herself on the opposite side of the lake while she tried to make sense of the senseless. For the record, it wasn't working too well.

"I like what you've done with the place," someone said from close behind her. She turned slowly and saw fire and water walking toward her, the very picture of polar opposites.

"Get up," fire said simply, standing before her and crossing her arms. Em just scowled at her. Water offered her a hand. Em ignored it.

"I said get up," fire continued, grabbing Em's wrists and hauling her to her feet.

Em jerked out of her reach. "Don't you two get it? It's over," she hissed.

"Look here, Missy, we're all part of this mind too. You don't call the shots unless we want you to, get it?" fire replied harshly. Em glared at her, seething. She opened her mouth to reply, but water cut her off.

"What she means," she began hastily, shooting a reproving glance at fire. "Is that we want you to stop hurting your friends and yourself. Is that too much to ask?"

"I've given up, in case you hadn't noticed. I came here to be alone. Time has the reins. She's doing fine. Go talk to her if you want changes to be made," Em grumbled, turning to stalk back further into her forest. Water and fire each grabbed one of her arms.

"That's it, you're coming with us," fire growled, dragging her back through the forest.

"I wish it hadn't come to this, but it's necessary," water added as they pulled a protesting Em through the forest of fire.


	134. Move Along

**Chapter One-Hundred-Thirty-Four:** Move Along

"Robin?" Starfire said timidly after another long silence.

Robin glanced over at her. "Yes?" he sighed.

"I am… sorry for being harsh with you earlier," she admitted. "I do not wish for you to think I do not care…"

Robin smiled a little. "Don't beat yourself up about it, Star," he said gently. "It had to be done. I wasn't helping anyone by brooding."

Starfire smiled a little as well. Then she closed her eyes and leaned forward, pulling once again on her restraints. They were all, by that time, very uncomfortable and in considerable amounts of pain.

"Don't push yourself too hard," Robin warned her. She fell back against her pole with an exhausted sigh. Robin cast a wary glance at his team. They all seemed rather worse for the wear. Raven's cloak was tattered and torn, Beast Boy's hair was a mess and his shirt was torn up one arm, Cyborg's left arm was cracked and his chest was burned, Starfire's boots were scratched and torn in places, and all of them were covered in dirt and dust.

He groaned. "We have to do something!" he burst out at last, finally coming to the end of his patience.

"What can we do?" Raven asked hollowly.

"Em doesn't just know our mental weaknesses," Cyborg added. "She knows all of our physical flaws as well. Any gaps in our fighting styles, she knows about."

"I know all of that, but we can't just sit here and wait for her to come back," Robin grumbled.

"What do you want to do, kill her?" Beast Boy snorted.

Robin paused.

"Robin!" Starfire shouted, aghast.

"No, we can't kill her…" Robin admitted reprovingly.

"Not that you could even if you tried," Em's voice said from above them. They looked up and saw her perched on the roof of a building in front of Robin. She swung her legs back and forth a little over the edge as she watched them shrewdly.

"How long have you been there?" Robin asked dully.

"Not very. I've had other things to attend to," she said casually, gazing innocently into the pewter sky.

"Other things like what?" Raven asked, curious in spite of herself.

"Securing my authority," she continued nonchalantly. "I visited a few resident villains, struck some deals. They keep the rowdy citizens under control in exchange for their lives."

Em floated gracefully to the ground. "You'd be surprised at how much a villain will do to save his own skin," she sighed. "I'm afraid I'm an exception, however."

"How's that?" Cyborg snorted.

Em shrugged. "I have nothing to lose," she said. And with that, she took off again.

"That's not a good sign," Robin said darkly. "An enemy with nothing to lose is the most dangerous kind."

"What could have done this to her?" Raven asked suddenly.

"What do you mean?"

"It's obvious that time is in control of her mind," Raven continued slowly. "So what could have driven her to something like this?"

"The real Em is in there somewhere… she could be in grave danger," Starfire said quietly.

"Knowing time, she probably is," Robin added.

Raven looked down. "I was supposed to be able to shield her from this… everything I taught her…"

"We were all supposed to protect her," Robin continued darkly. "She has time herself working against her. There's no way she can win this alone."

"We must do something!" Starfire groaned.

"What can we do?" Cyborg wondered hopelessly.

"What exactly do you expect me to do?" Em hissed as she was dragged toward the shore of the lake. "Just waltz up to time and say, 'Hey there, Green, I changed my mind. So you can just go back to your room now.' Ha, yeah right."

"Please shut up," fire growled.

Em continued sniping at them the rest of the way to the lake, though she no longer struggled; she merely allowed herself to be dragged. She was being a little stubborn.

Fire and water let go of her arms when they reached the lake shore. Water waded into the roiling waves. Em glanced at fire, who was staring pointedly at her. She sighed and followed water. Fire took up the rear.

Water passed a hand over the frothy surface of the lake. "Look what you've done," she whispered, watching as a light shone in the bottom of the lake. Em looked down as well. Her eyes widened only slightly when she saw what time had done to the city. She looked quickly up at the dark sky, staring determinedly away from the water.

"Why do you think I was sitting so far from the lake?" she said slowly through clenched teeth. "I didn't want to see what she was doing. I didn't want to see any of this."

"Well look real hard, Emily," fire growled, placing a hand on the back of her head and pushing her forward. She nearly lost balance. Instead of falling, however, she ended up staring straight at a picture of the Titans, tied to lamp posts and looking exhausted. Em froze.

"Do you understand why you needed to see this now?" water asked gently.

Em straightened up and quickly wiped her eyes on the back of her hand. "What do I have to do?" she said quietly.

Fire smiled. "That's what I like to hear," she said. "We need to dethrone Queen Green."

"No kidding?" Em grumbled.

"And how do you propose we do that?" water asked quickly.

"I'm still working on that part," fire muttered. "But first, we need to get the girls."

"Right. Let's go," Em said, taking off. Water and fire smiled and followed her.


	135. A Mid Month Girl

**Chapter One-Hundred-Thirty-Five:** A Mid-Month Girl

"I've got it!" Beast Boy shouted suddenly after another prolonged silence. "PMS!"

"Excuse me?" Raven asked dully.

"That's why Em's all weird right now! She's PMS-ing!" Beast Boy continued proudly.

"Beast Boy, please spare us," Robin sighed.

"Actually…" Raven muttered.

"Please, don't encourage him," Cyborg growled.

"Well, Em is the only true human girl on the team, so it could be a factor in all of this," Raven said with a shrug.

"You're kidding me," Robin sighed.

"Sorry, wrong again," Em said, dropping swiftly from the sky. "I'm a mid-month girl, and it is now the end of the month. You're a couple weeks off. Good try though, I respect that."

"What now?" Raven asked her angrily.

"Oh, you know, just checking up on my friends," Em said sociably. "You're all comfortable, I hope?"

"I liked it better when you weren't here," Cyborg said loudly.

"Ouch, point taken," Em pretended to wince. "I liked it better when it was quiet. I'll be back later to check on you all again. Try not to hurt yourselves."

She disappeared into the thick haze overhead.

"Back to square one," Beast Boy sighed.

"Robin, please stay awake," Starfire mumbled tiredly.

Robin woke up a little more. It was getting late, and the Titans were all exhausted. They were all trying to keep each other awake. It was dangerous for them to sleep at a time like this.

"Beast Boy…" Raven whispered groggily. He had slumped forward and his eyes were closed. It was hard to tell whether or not he had lost consciousness. "Beast Boy…" she muttered again before she too fell out of the waking world. Cyborg had shut down half an hour earlier. Robin and Starfire found themselves quite alone. They were both breathing very slowly.

"Star…" Robin said quietly.

"…Yes?"

"I can't believe it's come to this," and with that, he too slipped away.

"Neither can I…" Starfire whispered. She was about to join her friends in dreamland when a boy appeared before her quite suddenly in a puff of white smoke. She looked up at him, thinking he must be a hallucination. Her blurry vision took in only a pair of red Converse high tops before she too fainted.

Starfire slowly opened her eyes. It was very dark now. She was led to assume it was very late at night. She sat up and realized quite suddenly that she was no longer bound. Her eyes widened and she looked around frantically. All of the Titans were likewise freed, though they were still unconscious. She groaned slightly. She was terribly sore all over, but that didn't matter. She slid over to Robin's side.

"Robin," she whispered, brushing his hair from his forehead. "Robin!"

Robin groaned loudly and opened his eyes. He sat up carefully, rubbing his sore forearms. "What's going on?" he muttered in exhaustion.

Starfire leaned against him, finding it too difficult to sit up. "I have no idea," she sighed quietly, wasting no energy in talking more than was necessary.

"How long have…" Robin trailed off for a moment, groaning again as he leaned back against the lamp post. "How long have you been awake?"

"A few moments," she replied vaguely. "I… wanted to be sure you were okay."

"I can't tell if I am or not," he sighed. He placed a hand on her waist and pulled her closer, reveling in the warmth she provided. "How did we get untied?"

"I do not know…" Starfire replied in what would have been a vexed sort of way had she not been far too tired to show any emotion. She closed her eyes slowly.

"What about you? Are you okay?" Robin asked. "Star?" He looked down to find her fast asleep. He rested his head on hers, which was on his shoulder, and quickly faded off to sleep as well.


	136. Queen Green

**Chapter One-Hundred-Thirty-Six:** Queen Green

Em was up flying above the blanket of garish haze. Her green eyes scanned the starry skies with little interest. She had needed a breath of fresh air. The ground far below was being choked by her premature Armageddon. It didn't matter, of course. It was her city now.

"Okay, she's out, let's go," fire said, ushering water and Em forward from their hiding place in the trees. Time had switched Em over to her own element, so she was no longer present in Em's mind. They each raced over to a door and retrieved the room's occupant. It wasn't long before Em and her nine elements had disappeared back into the forest. They had some planning to do.

Off to the east of the catastrophe, Terra sat down to watch the news. She was visiting the Titans East in Steel City. The news anchor looked rather grim.

"We have breaking news this evening," she said quickly. Terra sat up a little straighter. "Jump City, located on the west coast, is under attack."

Terra gasped. "Guys!" she shouted urgently. "Get in here!"

Bruce Wayne sat quite still in front of the television, listening silently to the news report.

"Sources are unsure of what has caused this. Thankfully, the remaining police troopers evacuated the citizens. The person or persons responsible are still at large and causing destruction. However, the question right now is not who caused such a disaster, but where in the world are the Teen Titans?" the anchor said. "It is believed that they have been taken hostage, but there is no proof of these allegations-"

Bruce turned the television off. "Jase!" he said loudly. "Head to the Cave. We're going on a little field trip."

Raven woke up very slowly and pushed herself up from the ground. She cast a wary look around. Robin and Starfire were curled up together nearby. Cyborg was still slumped against his lamp post. Beast Boy was sprawled at the foot of his post. Raven blinked several times, trying desperately to clear her foggy mind. They were all untied. She didn't understand. Surely it hadn't been Em, unless this was her idea of entertainment. Of course, that would hardly be a surprise.

Starfire sat up suddenly, making Robin fall over. "I know where I have seen those shoes before!" she gasped.

Robin and Raven stared at her. "What shoes?" Raven asked quietly, picking up a corner of her cloak and using it to rub the dirt and dust from her face.

"Before I fainted, I saw someone wearing red… um… what are they called… high tops?" Starfire said slowly, still finding it very tiring to speak.

Raven stopped and tried to think for a moment. Who wore red high tops? She knew the answer, but her exhausted mind wouldn't let her have it.

Robin groaned as he sat up. He was obviously still sore as well. "Where?" he asked, rubbing his back.

Something finally clunked into place in Raven's brain. Her eyes widened. "No…" she muttered. "It couldn't be… not-" she stopped. It did make sense. Who else could have released them? Who else had that power?

Starfire slowly nodded. "I believe it must have been him. He appeared quite suddenly. Who else could it have been?" she said quietly.

Robin finally understood who they were talking about. "This complicates things slightly," he admitted, carefully standing up. He stretched quickly, groaning as his sore muscles tightened. When he was finished, he pulled Starfire to her feet. "Let's wake Cyborg. Raven, try to wake Beast Boy up," he said as they walked over to Cyborg.

Raven cast another wary glance in Beast Boy's direction. Everything about her and him had become strange. The very fact that both of them existed seemed awkward. She moved to his side and looked at him carefully for a long moment.

"_It just wasn't there for us, Gar. It might be someday in the future, but it isn't now."_

She frowned a little as she recalled her own words.

"_Someday, we'll be better off together. But we need more time to get to know ourselves first."_

It made perfect sense. But if it did, then how had Em managed to use their relationship against Beast Boy? Raven furtively glanced over at Robin and Starfire. They were busy trying to restart Cyborg. Raven sighed and closed her eyes, allowing her mind to open up to Beast Boy's thoughts. As she had expected, he was thinking of his encounter with Em.

"_Ah yes, Terra, your special friend. Your greatest weakness? I thought about that, you know. Everyone else thinks Terra's rocky, if not short-lived, demise was your greatest weakness."_

Raven had expected that much to happen. It was true; everyone did think Terra was Beast Boy's soft spot.

"_But I know better."_

Raven became very still, listening intently.

_"You didn't even realize it, did you? That there is someone who affects you more deeply than your dear Terra. Someone I happen to know quite well."_

Raven winced. She had a feeling she knew what was coming next.

"_You had no idea how much you cared about her until she was at your door, ending your relationship."  
_  
Raven closed her eyes more tightly. This was a lot worse than she had thought.

_"It's called cruel irony. The girl you thought you loved tore the girl you truly loved away from you without even lifting a finger. You lost Raven because of false feelings for Terra. How sad."_

She was breathing much more quickly than usual. Time was much more evil than Raven could ever had suspected.

_"Have you ever seen Raven cry, Beast Boy?"_

Raven gasped.

_"I have. She was crying because of you."_

_"No! I won't listen to you! Raven doesn't cry! Least of all over me!"_

Raven yanked herself out of Beast Boy's thoughts. She was visibly shaking as she stared at him. Em had been right after all. Raven _had _driven him away. He thought she didn't care about him at all. She reached a tentative hand toward him, not sure what she wanted to say to him once he woke up. She sighed and shook him.

"Beast Boy," she whispered. Nothing happened. She tried again to no avail. "Garfield!" she said loudly, causing Robin and Starfire to look over in surprise. Beast Boy opened his eyes.

"Raven?" he muttered in confusion. She smiled a little. He sat up and looked around. "What-" he began, but he stopped when she hugged him. His eyes shot wide. He slowly returned the embrace, still not sure what was going on.

"It's okay," she said quietly. "Everything's going to be fine."

Em landed quietly in what used to be the park. Now it was just a large expanse of dead grass and trees with the occasional heap of old wood that was once a bench. She scanned the area with narrowed green eyes. Something was about to happen. She could feel it.

An arrow whizzed through the air and sank into the trunk of a dead tree not two feet in front of her. She hadn't even flinched. She looked over with a smirk. "I was beginning to think you wouldn't show up at all," she said snidely.

"Em?!" Bumblebee gasped. "What in the world is going on?"

"Yeah, we thought you guys were being held hostage," Speedy added.

Em smirked. "The Titans are being held hostage," she said simply. "By me."

Terra frowned. "Her time element must have taken over her mind again," she said. "Beast Boy told me about this. It's happened once before, just not on this scale."

"What have you done to the Titans?" Aqualad asked coldly.

Mas and Menos babbled something in Spanish that Em eloquently ignored. She stared at the two of them with little interest, never having met them before. She knew what they were capable of, but it didn't matter. They were just a shorter version of Silver Bullet divided in two.

"If I told you that, where would the fun be?" Em asked easily with a vampire grin.

"I'll show you fun," Speedy growled, taking aim and firing a fair share of arrows at her.

She just smiled and switched to her wind element. She spun around quickly, spinning his arrows behind her and firing them back at him. He was hit squarely in the chest and sent flying backwards, his bow slipping from his hands and sailing toward Em. She jumped into the air and snapped it in half with a well-aimed kick.

The moment she regained her feet, Terra was pelting her with boulders. Em switched quickly to her gravity element and trapped Terra in an anti-gravity bubble. After a few seconds, Em brought her crashing to the ground, followed by her rocks.

Mas and Menos were next. They charged straight at her, shouting something in Spanish that Em, once again, didn't care to understand. She merely switched to her electric element and jumped over them. They spun around and charged toward her again, but this time she jumped straight at them, grabbed them by their heads, and shoved them apart. They each went spinning in a different direction. Em smirked again.

She was caught slightly off guard when someone grabbed her arm. She turned toward her captor and saw with some amusement that it was Aqualad. She swiftly changed to her ice element and grabbed his wrist. He was frozen solid in a few seconds.

Finally, there was only one left. Bumblebee stared at her, hands on hips. "I see you've gotten stronger," she commented.

Em smiled a little. "Compliments, Bumblebee? Just admit it: you're terrified," she hissed.

Bumblebee jumped angrily into the air. Em changed to her earth element and raised a hand toward a dead tree on her right. A great groaning sound rent the air as the deadened black roots of the tree split the earth and shot into the air, binding Bumblebee tightly and dragging her to the ground. As Em had expected, she merely shrunk down to her bee-sized self. Em grinned. The roots of the tree began moving again. They formed a tight basketball-sized cocoon around Bumblebee, allowing enough room for her to fly around, but not to increase her size again.

Em smiled and turned around. She gasped when she found herself face-to-face with none other than Batman.

"You've been a bad girl," he said quietly, lunging toward her with a fist. Em quickly back-flipped out of the way, avoiding him by less than an inch. He punched the ground she had occupied seconds before with enough force to crack the sidewalk. Em switched to her fire element and rocketed forward from her crouched position, delivering a cruel uppercut to his chin and sending him flying. She watched him as he sat up and snapped his jaw back into place without so much as a wince.

Em's eyes narrowed. He was staring at a spot just above her right shoulder. She drove her elbow backwards and felt it sink into someone's stomach. She turned and grabbed him by the throat, finding herself staring at the Falcon. She smirked and threw him unceremoniously at his mentor. They landed in a tangled heap. Em smiled.

She knew perfectly well that she would never have been able to defeat all of them had they not underestimated her. They had no idea what she was capable of.


	137. All She Left Behind

**Chapter One-Hundred-Thirty-Seven:** All She Left Behind

"For crying out loud, how long could it possibly take to wake him up?!" Beast Boy shouted in exasperation after another half an hour. Cyborg refused to boot up, no matter how hard any of them tried.

"I think Em drained his power cell," Robin said as he stared at the many readouts and gauges lighting the panel in Cyborg's back. "He's completely shutdown."

"I might be of some assistance," someone said from a rooftop nearby. The Titans (those who were awake, anyway) all whipped around.

"Well what have we here," Raven said under her breath.

There, sitting on the edge of a building just above them, was none other than Ace.

He disappeared in an explosion of white smoke and reappeared right in front of Cyborg. He grabbed one of Cyborg's hands as though in a handshake and a massive bolt of electricity passed through the half-robot. His eyes snapped open.

"Yo! What in the world's goin' on?!" he shouted, jumping to his feet.

Robin stared at Ace. "How did you do that?" he asked.

Ace grinned and turned up his palm, revealing a small round object. "Mega joy buzzer," he said simply. "Can't beat the classics!"

"You charged my power cell with a joy buzzer?" Cyborg asked dully. He shook his head. "I must be going crazy."

"So... what, you're on our side now?" Raven asked, raising an eyebrow and scrutinizing him from top hat to high tops.

"Psh, me? No. I'm a neutral force. I help out when I feel like it," he said, shrugging.

"A neutral force? Since when? You've always been the bad guy in our book," Robin said coolly.

Ace snorted. "I stole a kitten. If that makes me a bad guy, so be it," he said with a shrug. "You're kinda high maintenance, Robin. Did you know?"

"What's that supposed to mean?" Robin snapped.

Ace snorted again. "You have impossible-to-reach standards when it comes to being a bad guy," he said with mock-sadness. "I try to be neutral, I really do!" He sniffed dramatically. "But there's no neutral with you, is there?!"

The Titans stared at him in silence. Robin shook his head a little.

"So are you going to help us or not?" he asked.

"Nah," Ace replied, wrinkling his nose. "I'd rather not."

"What do you mean 'you'd rather not'?!" Cyborg burst out.

"I mean I'd rather not face up to a vengeful vixen," Ace replied coolly. "That girl has a temper, in case you hadn't noticed."

"Trust me, we've noticed," Robin said darkly.

"Then what do you suggest?" Starfire asked.

Ace thought for a moment. "You need to get your hands on some Illuminus metal," he said.

The Titans stared at him. It was so remarkably simple.

"Two problems," Raven interjected. "One: the metal could drain her powers, yes, but it could also spike them, and then we'd be in even more trouble."

"Not if you apply the correct electrical charge to the metal in liquid form," Starfire said suddenly. The turned and stared at her instead. She merely shrugged. "It is merely the regular technological curriculum of the planet Tamaran. We must be aware of how to use our surroundings to our advantage, and that includes the occasional meteor shower from the Illuminus asteroid belt."

"But we still have the second problem," Raven said. "We don't know where to get any Illuminus metal, not to mention the fact that we'd need a qualified smelter to even attempt something like this."

"What if I told you I knew someone who had a liquid Illuminus charger, all prepackaged and ready to go?" Ace said slowly.

"I'd ask you what kind of people you regularly make acquaintances with," Raven replied.

Ace glanced at Robin for a moment, then returned his gaze to the ground. He cleared his throat loudly. "Well, you've known him for quite a while. He doesn't like me very much, actually. Thinks I'm annoying," he admitted. "But he kinda thinks the whole world is annoying, in truth."

Robin's eyes narrowed as comprehension began to dawn. "Don't say it, Ace. I know who you're talking about, and saying it will just make me angry. Now is not the time to piss me off," he hissed.

Starfire's hand was on Robin's shoulder in seconds. "Robin, what choice do we have?" she asked quietly.

"We'd better find another choice, Starfire, because there is no way I'm going to ask for help from Slade," Robin growled dangerously.

"Robin, shut up," Raven said shortly. Robin's eyes widened. "Just swallow your pride this once, please. This has nothing to do with your vendetta against Slade. This is about saving the city and saving Em."

"But-"

"She's right, Rob," Cyborg said quickly. "There's nothing else we can do, so we may as well go with it."

"But-"

"We have to save the city at all costs," Beast Boy added.

"But-"

"Em, Robin," Starfire said. "We have to save Em. She is part of our family, and she needs us."

"Fine!" Robin burst out angrily. "Fine! We'll go find Slade! But we still can't trust him!" He glared at Ace. "Well?"

"Well what?" Ace asked innocently.

"Well where is he?!" Robin shouted.

"Oh, right, come with me," Ace said, walking off down a side street.

"Can we trust him?" Cyborg wondered.

Robin glared at him. "You're the one who told me we had to go to Slade, and now you're asking me whether we can trust him?!" he demanded angrily.

Starfire grabbed Robin by the collar and hauled him toward her, pressing her lips against his. When she shoved him away, he was staring at her wide-eyed.

"What… was that for?" he asked, dazed.

"I wanted you to calm down, and I wanted to kiss you, so I tied them together," she said quietly, smiling a little.

"Good call Starfire, good call," Raven said as she walked past them to follow Ace.


	138. No Rest For The Wicked

**Chapter One-Hundred-Thirty-Eight:** No Rest for the Wicked

"Wow, I'm flattered," Em mused as she watched Batman and Falcon jump to their feet. "You came all the way here just for me. I must have caused more mayhem than I thought."

"Give it a rest, Emily. Just tell me why you decided to destroy your own city and we'll call it a day," Batman said calmly.

"Oh, Emily has nothing to do with this," she continued, smiling. Batman stood up a little straighter. She laughed a little. "Come on, Bats, think really hard."

Batman's eyes narrowed suspiciously.

"Still haven't got it? How sad. I'm the villain of this story, Batman," she said calmly. "Poor Emily, that little girl you protected with your life back when she was small, has been caught in the middle of a battlefield her entire life. And she never even knew it."

"What are you talking about, Emily?" Batman asked slowly.

A flicker of annoyance passed through her. "I already told you, I'm not Emily," she said coldly. "Emily is currently in her own mind, plotting against me with her other half-wit elements. Of course, one of them is in the same boat as I am. She just doesn't know it. She doesn't know who I really am."

Em paused for a moment. She was met with silence. She sighed impatiently. "Em's fire element isn't like the others," she said, anger rising in her voice. "Because Em's fire element is Annie. All of the elements in between are a combination of Em and Annie. But I'm different as well. I am fire's reflection."

Batman's eyes widened. "Annie?" he said quietly.

Em smiled, revealing her pointed teeth. "Yes, now you're getting it. Fire is Annie in her living form, while I… well, I am more like Annie's death, just in a human body."

"You mean you're-" Falcon began.

"Yes, Falcon, I am death," Em cut him off. "I am destruction. I am the end of all things. A grim reaper, if you will. All of this…" she spread her arms wide, gesturing to the flaming city. "All of this was just for fun. My real job is to kill this girl." She looked down at herself in clear disgust. "This girl… this body that took my death from me. This girl who forced me to keep on living this half-life, this cursed existence. Shut away in the confines of her own freakish mind for as long as she lives. Don't you understand?!" she shouted angrily. "I am not resting in peace. I have not been given the chance to relax forever in the afterlife. I was so close to being in eternal peace, but instead, I was trapped within this body… this girl!"

"Just calm down," Batman said calmly, walking cautiously toward her. "Everything's going to be okay. I can help you."

Em switched rapidly into her electric element, snarling at him. "Stay back," she said in a dangerously calm voice. "Nobody can help me."

"Em-" Falcon began helplessly, reaching tentatively toward her, but Batman held him by his shoulder.

"That's not Em, Falcon," he said darkly. "You can't reach her."

"But…" Falcon trailed off. He looked at Em. She stood quite still, staring at him with merciless eyes. He sighed and cast his gaze down at his feet. While Em was watching him, Batman hurled a batarang at her. She ducked to the side and caught it in her electrically charged fist. She turned a malevolent gaze on Batman.

"You realize this means war," she said lightly. She crushed the batarang in her hand and dropped the pieces at her feet. In a matter of seconds she was charging at them. And thus began the battle between Batman, Falcon, and Death.

Meanwhile, a heated discussion was going on in Em's head. Em and all of her elements (except time, who was over the lake, and electricity, who was occupied) were sitting in a circle deep in the forest behind the line of doors.

"Why can't you just take control back?" gravity asked.

"Ugh, this is too complicated…" dark grumbled.

Fire sighed impatiently. "Look, it's really quite simple. Em is normally the main source of control. Since I'm her conscience, however, she shares some of the power with me. Despite that, she's still in charge," fire began. She looked around for a moment, making sure everyone was listening. "But she can give control to any one of us. Since she gave it to time, now time is the only one who can give it away. Make sense?"

"Yeah yeah, we get it, I suck at life, but can we focus please?" Em said impatiently. "We have no idea what she's been doing for hours now."

"Good thing electricity will be back soon," water said. As if on cue, gravity vanished and electricity appeared in her place.

Em arched an eyebrow. "She called gravity out. Who on earth are you fighting?" she asked electricity, who was panting.

"Batman… and… Jase…" she answered between breaths.

Fire groaned and Em slapped a hand to her forehead. "Oi with the poodles already! How much worse can this get?!"


	139. Seriously

**Chapter One-Hundred-Thirty-Nine:** Seriously

"Robin?" Starfire said tentatively. He didn't reply. The Titans were following Ace on a strange path through the decimated city. Robin and Starfire were at the back, and Robin hadn't said a word since they had set out.

"Robin," she repeated. He still ignored her. She frowned and grabbed his wrist, stopping him from walking.

"Hey, Starfire, let go!" Robin said loudly, trying to pull himself out of her grip. She held on tightly, not letting him move another inch. Raven stopped and looked at them.

"Please continue, we shall catch up," Starfire said darkly. Raven nodded and the others kept going. Robin turned angrily on Starfire.

"What?" he growled. Starfire's eyes narrowed dangerously.

"Do not treat me like this, Robin," she said quietly. "You cannot toy with me like this just because I love you. I hate to sound selfish, but I deserve better."

Robin didn't reply. He looked down at her feet.

"You have nothing to say?" she asked. "Then I will continue. You have no right to be angry at any of us just because you do not wish to ask for help from Slade. We are not your vents, we are your teammates."

"I'm sorry Star, I-" he began as he moved toward her, trying to take her into his arms, but she placed a firm hand on his chest and held him back.

"Kissing me and saying you are sorry will not make this better, Robin," she warned. "I need you to tell me that you will not treat any of us like this. Tell me you will not treat _me_ like this."

Robin looked down again. "I won't treat you like this any more," he said quietly. "I promise.

"Good," she replied. Then, her air of confidence faltered and she looked worried. "I am sorry I had to be so harsh with you…"

Robin offered her a small smile. "It's okay, I deserved it," he said.

She wrapped her arms around his neck and hugged him. "I am worried," she admitted quietly. "About Slade."

Robin hugged her tightly. "I won't let him hurt anyone," he replied soothingly.

Starfire pulled away and looked at him. "That is why I am worried," she admitted quietly. She gazed pointedly at him a moment longer before walking off to rejoin the rest of the Titans. He stared after her, unsure of what to do. He decided to remain undecided and raced after her.

Before Robin and Starfire could catch up, Cyborg was trying to start an intelligent conversation with Ace. He was failing miserably. Meanwhile, Raven and Beast Boy were walking a short ways behind them, trying to avoid looking at each other. Beast Boy finally said something.

"You called me Garfield," he commented lightly.

"What?" Raven asked without looking at him.

"When you were trying to wake me up," Beast Boy continued. "You called me Garfield."

"Oh, I suppose I did," Raven replied vaguely, looking down and feeling distinctly thankful that she had her hood up.

"You mean you didn't do it on purpose?" he asked.

"It just sort of… slipped out," she hastily replied. She stopped when she felt his hand on her shoulder. She looked warily at him.

"Do you really not care about me at all?" he asked quietly.

Raven bit her lip. A chill passed through her. The way he was looking at her… it made her feel strange. She turned resolutely toward Ace and Cyborg and began walking again.

"Now is really not the time-" she began, but he just increased pressure on her shoulder. She didn't turn around in hopes that he wouldn't see how much she was shaking. "Beast Boy, please, not right now. I… I can't-"

"Just answer the question," he said quietly. Raven closed her eyes and took a ragged breath. Her emotions were already at breaking point because of Em, but now this… Him… She didn't know what to do. But then, something Em had said once came back to her.

"_In all truth… I don't know what to tell you. Just… do what your heart tells you."_

Raven took a deep breath and reached up slowly. She placed her hand over his for a moment. She felt him tense beneath her touch. She stayed still, hoping desperately that she had made the right choice by listening to Em's advice. She opened her eyes when he squeezed her shoulder slightly and let go. She watched him as he walked past her and smiled a little.

Starfire seemed to appear beside her. Raven looked worriedly at her. Starfire just shook her head a little.

"Men," she sighed.

"Seriously," Raven replied.

"Seriously," Starfire consented as the two of them resumed walking.


	140. Throw Away The Heroes

**Chapter One-Hundred-Forty:** Throw Away the Heroes

"We're nearly there," Ace whispered to the Titans.

"Why are we whispering?" Beast Boy hissed back.

"Because he doesn't really like visitors, and I'd rather we bugged him as little as possible," Ace replied.

"What, by sneaking up on him?" Cyborg whispered crossly.

"Oh trust me, he'll already know we're here by now," Ace replied as he crept through the old decrepit alleyway he had led them to. "He probably knew we were coming before we did. He has eyes everywhere."

"Tell me something I don't know," Robin muttered.

Starfire walked past him and shot him a warning glance. Raven stopped beside him and cocked an eyebrow. Robin just shook his head and kept moving.

Raven smiled bemusedly. "Seriously."

"Now follow me very closely," Ace said seriously. He moved a rusty old trash can out of the way to reveal an old refrigerator box. Ace pointed silently at the box and crawled in, swiftly disappearing from view. Robin and Starfire exchanged alarmed glances.

"Um, and exactly how does he expect me to fit in that box?" Cyborg asked slowly.

Suddenly, an entire section of the wall in front of them swung upward, revealing Ace. "Well? Are you coming?" he asked.

Raven, Cyborg, and Beast Boy followed him into the shadows. Starfire took Robin's hand gently and tugged him forward. He looked over at her. She offered him a smile and let go of him. They both followed Ace into the darkness beneath the building.

Em pushed herself up from the ground, panting. She pushed her red hair from her eyes and looked up. Batman was moving toward her, breathing even more heavily than she was. Jase had been unconscious on the ground for several minutes. It had taken all she had to down him. Now she still had Batman left. She rose unsteadily to her feet, looking for a moment at the large crack she had made in the pavement when she had hit the ground.

"Ready to give up?" he asked.

"I'm not done with you yet," she replied.

Fire appeared quite suddenly, replacing darkness. Em looked worriedly at her as she gasped and panted.

"We're getting whipped out there," she panted. "I managed to take Jase down, but Batman is still up." She stopped talking so she could breathe.

"Yeah, well, the planning stage isn't going too well either," Em sighed. "Why the heck doesn't my stupid brain have any stupid loopholes?!" Her elements stared at her. "Stupid brain…" she grumbled angrily.

"I think you're a little tired," water suggested quietly.

"You would be too if you were crushed by your existence and decided to set your brain on fire to make up for it," she replied, gesturing at the burning woods around them.

"Maybe Raven could help," wind said.

"Last time I saw her, she was bound to a lamp post," Em sighed in reply.

"This sucks," fire said.

"True that," earth consented.

The others stared at her. She hadn't said a word yet. She shrugged. "What, just putting in my two cents."

"We are so doomed," Em said, shaking her head slowly.

"Hello there, Titans. It's been far too long."

The Titans all turned. There he was. Slade.

Ace had spent the last half an hour leading them in circles in the maze of catwalks over their heads before Starfire had finally lost patience and ripped a path to the ground. As was to be expected, Slade was waiting for them. There was a large cardboard box at his feet.

He looked up at the smoking hole in the catwalk. "I do believe your little princess has damaged my property," he said airily.

"Howdy, Slade ol' buddy!" Ace shouted excitedly, running up and shaking his hand. Slade gave him a look of clear disgust.

"I do wish you would stop calling me that," he said, bending Ace's wrist back until he started shouting 'uncle uncle' in a high-pitched voice.

"So, I believe you wanted to borrow this?" Slade asked when Ace was done shrieking. He pulled out the same device he had used to kidnap Em the very first time. It was a small, innocent-looking object, no larger than a TV remote. Robin stepped forward and held out his hand. Slade's visible eye narrowed as if he were smiling.

"It won't be that easy, Robin," he hissed. The Titans were all standing very still, watching him suspiciously. They were all very alert and very tense. Slade pushed the cardboard box toward Robin with his foot. Robin bent down and opened it carefully. Within were five neatly folded uniforms, all of orange, black and gray.

"If you want to borrow my toys, you will wear my colors," Slade said smoothly. He seemed pleased with the looks of shock and fury on the faces of the Titans. "Time to throw away the heroes, Titans."


	141. The Batman

**Chapter One-Hundred-Forty-One:** The Batman

Em was once again thrown viciously to the ground. She labored back to her feet, facing the Batman who also looked rather worse for the wear.

Their battle was moving very slowly now considering both of them were bruised, bleeding, and completely exhausted.

"Just give it up," Batman panted. "You can't win."

"I can… and I will…" Em panted back. "Go back to your cave, Flyboy. This isn't your city."

Both of them looked over when Jase groaned, shifted, and fell silent again.

Em narrowed her eyes as her mind began screaming at her.

"_Jase! Jase, oh I'm so sorry, I'm so sorry I did this to you!"_

Em clamped her hands over her ears. "Shut up!" she hissed, eyes flashing green. "You're too late!"

"But I'm not," Batman growled, launching himself at her again.

Meanwhile, Em's elements were desperately trying to calm her down. She had finally snapped and begun screaming, sobbing uncontrollably into her hands.

"I'm so sorry, I'm so sorry," she repeated over and over again, rocking back and forth and shuddering. "I'm so sorry…"

Fire reappeared again. Her knees gave way immediately and she hit the ground. Earth vanished in her place.

"I have… bad news…" she panted. Em's elements looked over as Em continued shuddering and whispering "I'm so sorry" over and over.

"We're… dying…" fire finally gasped. Even Em fell silent. "Batman… is going… to kill us… if… he keeps this… up…"

"I can't die yet!" Em shouted. "I can't, not after everything I've done! I have to make it right! I can't just die!"

"I don't think… you can make it right…" fire said. "It's so terrible… what time did… the city will never be the same. So… what's the plan?"

"At the moment, the plan is to grab time and sit on her until she gives control back to Em," water sighed hopelessly.

"Pulling a Factor, eh?" fire laughed lightly.

"We need help," wind sighed. "We can't do this alone."

"Uh, guys?" light said suddenly. "Where's Em?"

The elements looked around. Em wasn't there anymore.

"She wouldn't," fire said warily.

Water nodded slowly, eyes wide. "She would."

Em's elements raced out of the woods. Sure enough, Em was standing on the lake shore, staring a time. As they watched, time looked over. After a moment, she flew over and stopped in front of Em.

"What are they saying?" water whispered.

"I dunno," fire replied.

"I just don't understand," Em said calmly to time. "What do you have to gain from this?"

Time smiled pleasantly. "Didn't fire tell you?" she asked. "You're dying. That's what I have to gain. My freedom."

Em was silent for a moment. Then she met time's eyes. "You're her too, aren't you?" she asked quietly. "You're Annie."

Em's eyes widened and she froze in mid-punch. Her fist was nearly in contact with Batman's jaw. She backed away several steps and Batman sighed with relief. That one would have hurt.

She panted, trying to catch her breath. Her brown eyes widened even more. Time's influence had just slipped a little. She didn't know why, she just knew it had happened. With no little effort, she managed to switch back to her wind element. Time hadn't stopped her. At the moment, she wasn't under time's control. Or Em's. Em and all of her elements were free-floating. It was odd. She looked over at Jase and bit her lip. She glanced back at Batman. He was still struggling to his feet. She turned back to Jase and rushed over to his side. She leaned over him and sighed.

"Jase," she whispered. "Oh Jase, please be okay."

Jase's eyes opened slightly. The silver-haired girl swam into view. "Em…" he muttered vaguely.

Em's eyes filled with tears, but she bit them back. "I'm so sorry Jase, I'm so sorry," she whispered. "Time took over. She's lapsing a little now, but it won't last. Please get Batman out of here. He's in a bad way, and I don't want to hurt you."

Jase sat up. "I… won't leave…" he began.

"Yes, please, you have to," she replied desperately. "You have to help the Titans East, and you have to help… the Titans." Em looked back at Batman again. He was coming toward them. "Please Jase, they're all in trouble. Please."

Jase slowly nodded. "Okay."

Em threw herself against him in a hug, squeezing her eyes shut tightly for a moment before standing up and taking off as fast as she could considering the shape she was in.

"Where's she going?" Batman grunted. Jase struggled to his feet.

"She's trying to throw time off," he muttered. "We can't follow her right now, though. We have to save the Titans."


	142. Years For You And I

**Chapter One-Hundred-Forty-Two:** Years for You and I

"Took you long enough," time grumbled, looking away from Em. Em, on the other hand, kept her eyes fixed on her green element. For the first time, she didn't seem spiteful. For the moment, anyway.

"Why would you want to kill me, though?" Em asked. Time looked up at her. Em looked genuinely curious. Her head was tilted a little to the side and her eyebrows were drawn together worriedly. This was no trick. This was a temporary cease fire.

"I could have moved on," time admitted quietly. "I could have gotten out of this world and into a better place. But you got in the way."

Em looked down. "I never apologized to you," she said suddenly. Time's eyes widened. "I thought only fire was Annie, so I apologized to her, but… if I had known it was you too…"

"You… you want to apologize?" time asked doubtfully. "But… I'm the villain. I'm Death. You can't possibly…"

Em smiled a little. "It doesn't matter who you are. I messed things up, and I want to fix it," she replied. "If you have something to apologize for, the identity of the person you're apologizing to doesn't matter."

Time stared at her. She shook her head and backed away a few steps. "No… no, it can't be that easy," she said, sounding almost frightened. Em's eyes widened a little. "It can't be so simple as that…"

Time stopped. Em was holding out her hand. She looked from Em's hand to her face several times, looking horribly confused.

"It's just a hand," Em said quietly.

"No… no, no I can't cross to your side," time continued, staring fixedly at Em's hand. "I can't. It would throw off the balance. It would… I can't… I… but…"

"Still just a hand," Em offered, smiling a little.

"But… if I'm not fire's opposite, then what am I?" time whispered.

"A friend," Em suggested. "A comrade. A sister."

"No," time muttered. "No, it can't happen."

"Please," Em said, her confidence finally breaking. "I'm sorry."

Time backed further into the lake. Her eyes widened in fright. "No!" she shouted. She took off toward the middle of the lake. Em sighed despondently and closed her eyes. She sat down right there on the shore with her head in her hands. "So close…"

Back in reality, Em was flying nowhere in particular when her head gave a horrific jolt and she stopped dead in the air. She ran her fingers up into her silver hair and inhaled sharply, wincing. Time was back in control. Wind was replaced by time, who shook her head briskly and looked around. She sank slowly to the ground to think. She was lost.

"Robin, don't do it."

Robin jumped a little and turned around. Raven was standing behind him, looking at him in a strange way. She was wearing a black cloak over her black and orange one-piece. Robin wasn't wearing his yet. In fact, he had been about to tear it to shreds when Raven had interrupted.

"Don't do what?" he asked innocently.

Raven raised an eyebrow a little. She closed her eyes and sighed, slowly shaking her head. "Don't do this to yourself, Robin," she said, sounding extremely tired. "Don't do this to her."

"I don't know what-" Robin began snappishly.

"Stop messing with her," Raven cut him off sharply. "She loves you, Robin. You can't just play with her affection like this. Stop making her promises and then turning around and breaking them. It hurts her more and more every time you do it."

Robin remained silent. "Just put the uniform on," Raven said quietly. "It doesn't mean anything. But Starfire does."

Raven turned around and walked away from him. Robin sighed and put the black and orange jumpsuit on without a word. Starfire appeared a few minutes later, also wearing black and orange. She smiled at him a little.

"It is not so bad," she said, trying to sound as though she believed it. Robin stared at her for a moment, then moved forward and pulled her into a tight hug. She didn't understand, but she didn't fight him. She simply wrapped her arms around his neck and closed her eyes, enjoying his embrace while she could.

"Robin, are you-" she began worriedly after a short while, but he stopped her.

"Hush," he whispered. Starfire smiled a little, recognizing it to be the same thing she had said to him many times before. "Just… hold still for a minute, Star. I just-"

"It is alright," Starfire whispered back. "I will remain with you as long as you want."

"Is forever too long?" he muttered tiredly.

Starfire smiled a little more and closed her eyes tighter. "No, not at all," she replied.


	143. To Make Ends Meet

**Chapter One-Hundred-Forty-Three:** To Make Ends Meet

"There is some good in her," Em sighed as her other elements came up behind her. "I know there is."

"The problem is getting to it," water agreed.

"So, she's my other half," fire mused darkly. "Learn something new every day."

"I suppose we should have seen something like this coming," ice muttered. "Considering you and time are the first and last, it makes sense you'd be reflections or something."

"How did it come to this?" Em asked suddenly, staring blankly at the lake. Her elements fell silent. "How did I let this happen?"

"Em…" fire began, but she didn't know how to continue. None of them did.

Batman and Jase had finished freeing the Titans East. It had taken quite a long time. Em had knocked them out a little too well. Bumblebee took the longest to bring around. The tree-root-cocoon Em had created was tough to break. But Speedy helped them hack her out. All eight of them were exhausted, but they set out to find the Titans regardless.

They came to the place the Titans had been held with the five lamp posts jutting from the ground. But there were no Titans to be found.

"I don't get it," Bumblebee muttered tiredly. "Where are they?"

"Don't you mean 'Where is he'?" Speedy snickered, knowing full well that she had a thing for Cyborg.

"Shut up, Pretty Boy, this is no time to be joking around!" Bumblebee shouted back. Terra and Jase rolled their eyes as they continued shouting at each other. Batman silenced them all with a look.

"Someone's coming," he said quietly, pointing.

The Titans East fell into their battle stances, waiting warily as five figures emerged from the darkness of an alley. When the Titans came into the light, all of the already-gathered Titans' mouths dropped open. Black and orange didn't seem to fit the Titans very well.

"Hello, Robin," Batman said darkly.

Robin's eyes widened. He looked down. "Hello," he replied miserably.

"Wearing the colors of an enemy, are we?" Batman began, but Starfire's temper flared up immediately.

"Do not insult Robin!" she shouted angrily. The Titans, East or otherwise, all stared. Even Batman seemed surprised. He had only ever seen a very timid Starfire. This was new. "He did not wish to wear the colors of Slade, but we had no choice! He has sacrificed his pride to save this city and save our friend, so if you wish to be angry with him, you will answer to me!" Everyone fell silent. Starfire watched Batman with narrowed eyes. He shrugged after a short while.

"Whatever you say, Princess," he said. She narrowed her eyes even more. Robin placed a hand on her shoulder.

"It's okay, Star," he said quietly. She looked at him questioningly for a moment before backing down.

"Uh, hate to break up the conversation," Cyborg said suddenly. "But… where'd Ace go?"

The Titans all looked around for a moment. Ace then appeared quite suddenly in a puff of white smoke. He wore his trademark tuxedo and high tops, but the shoes and half the suit were orange.

"Hey, don't I look great in this color?!" he shouted excitedly, looking at his tux with a huge grin on his face. The he looked up and gasped. "No way!" He vanished again and reappeared right in front of Batman.

"Batman! Wow, what an honor sir!" he said excitedly, wringing Batman's hand. Batman raised an eyebrow.

"Ace?" he asked.

Ace almost fainted. "Yes! Wow, you even know my name!" he shrieked excitedly. Raven shook her head slowly and sighed.

Batman, however, did not seem to be in a humorous mood. "You know this is your fault," he said darkly.

Ace froze. He sighed and looked down. "Yes, sir, I do," he said quietly, serious for once. The eyes of all the Titans widened.

"What do you mean?" Raven asked warily.

The Titans East just looked between Ace, Batman, and the Titans, looking horribly confused.

"Emily was pushed over the edge by that disk I gave her when she learned about Annie," Batman said quietly. "The disk revealed Ace to be the apprentice of the man who killed her."

"What?!" Robin shouted. Starfire grabbed his hand to stop him from attacking Ace on the spot.

"So that's why she was driven to this," Raven muttered.

Ace sighed. "Yes. I never thought I could have caused something this terrible," he said quietly. He looked up at all of them. "I'm sorry."

"Okay, you know what? Someone had better explain this right now!" Terra shouted suddenly. Everyone turned and looked at her. She smiled sheepishly. They all sat down and the story began. It was quite a tale.

Em groaned. "Atama ga itain…" she grumbled, rubbing her temples. She was still sitting on the lakeshore.

"Uh oh, she's too tired to speak English," water sighed.

"Come here, you need sleep," fire said in a very sisterly way, grabbing Em's hands and pulling her up.

"Watashi wa nemashyou ka?" she muttered tiredly, closing her eyes and nearly falling over. Fire caught her and hauled her up onto her own back. Em immediately began snoring loudly, her arms hanging down over fire's shoulders. Fire muttered something unintelligible.

"Where are you going to take her?" water asked.

"The volcano," fire grumbled, hoisting her up further. "It's warm in there. She should sleep easily."

"I'll come," water said quickly, following her. "I want to make sure she's okay."

"Let's all go," electricity added. Fire raised an eyebrow, but she didn't say anything. They all went in fire's door and sat down at the back of her cavern. Em was sleeping comfortably on the warm sand nearby.

Fire sighed. "Well, we should all rest while we can," she said quietly.

"Yeah," ice consented. "We seem to be in for the fight of Em's life."


	144. And The Beat Goes On

**Chapter One-Hundred-Forty-Four: **And the Beat Goes On

Everyone sat in complete silence when Batman and the Titans finished their story. They were sitting on the ground in a large circle. It had taken close to an hour to tell the whole story.

"So, basically, Em has just been caught up in this giant war between good and evil her entire life, and she had no choice in the matter?" Terra said at long last.

"Basically," Batman replied.

Raven looked down. "So that's what it was," she sighed. The others looked at her. "There's always been something about her aura I never understood. She's just so…"

They all fell silent again.

"Different," Beast Boy finished for her. The others slowly nodded.

"She understands life," Starfire said suddenly. "When I asked her about it, she just told me that she sees the world differently. She finds herself to be nothing special."

"She has no idea," Falcon said.

Ace had been silent the entire time. Nobody said anything to him. He simply kept to himself. But, at long last, he asked, "So… what's the plan?"

"We use this thing Slade gave us to drain her powers temporarily," Robin began, pulling out the device. "Just until we get close enough for… uh…"

More silence.

"For me to enter her mind," Raven said at long last. She sounded tired already. "But I don't see how I'll be able to help."

"Well, first we need to find out how to fix it," Cyborg suggested. "And for that, someone needs to talk to Em. Raven, you're the only one who can."

Raven sighed. "Lucky me," she said hollowly.

"Was it really that bad in there last time?" Beast Boy asked.

Raven didn't say anything for a while. "No… it was just…" she stopped, not sure what to say. "They were all so…"

"All?" Aqualad asked, confused.

"All of Em's elements are separate entities in her mind," Raven explained. "It was… kind of overwhelming. I don't see how she lives with it."

"Look who's talking," Cyborg pointed out. Raven shot a glare at him and he fell silent.

"But we have to be very careful," Robin added. "Em is extremely dangerous right now."

"No kidding?" Speedy grumbled. "She thrashed all of us."

"So obviously time has figured out how to boost her strength," Raven added, sounding even more tired.

"She mentioned something like that to me before she fried me," Cyborg said thoughtfully. "She's been held back all these years by her Conscience, apparently. Morals or something."

"Fire," Starfire said. "Em told me fire is her conscience."

"This is weird," Terra muttered.

"Tell me about it," Bumblebee consented.

"Imagine how it is for Em," Falcon replied.

"This is going to take a miracle," Batman grumbled.

"So, basically, I've just been caught up in this giant war between good and evil my entire life, and I have no choice in the matter?" Em said dully once she had woken up.

"Basically," ice replied.

"Great," Em sighed, leaning back against the warm rock wall of fire's cave. "Now what?"

"How are we supposed to fix this if we don't even know how to fix it?" fire growled.

"Is there some kind of loophole we've missed?" water suggested hopefully. They all fell silent.

"What if…" Em began, a horrified look coming suddenly over her face. She stopped. The others all looked at her, waiting for her to continue. "What if… this is the real me? What if I was meant to be… well… evil?"

"Don't even joke," fire said sharply.

Em fell silent, but she still looked worried.

"Maybe we can find some way to just kind of…" electricity began tentatively. "I don't know, force her out of here or something?"

"You mean just push her out of my mind?" Em asked dazedly.

"Is that even possible?" gravity wondered.

"Sounds dangerous," light said worriedly.

"And painful," darkness added.

"I don't know… it seems too risky," wind said.

"Bad things could happen," Em said. "Very bad things. My very delicate and pathetic balance would go right out the window."

"Maybe that's a good thing," ice muttered.


	145. Spin Around

**Chapter One-Hundred-Forty-Five:** Spin Around

Em looked up. She was sitting at the park pulling up dead grass, and she had been staring moodily into space with blazing green eyes until she felt a drop of water on her head. As she tilted her gaze skyward, brown rain began pattering to the ground. It wasn't a storm or a downpour, just a rain. A disgusting rain. The water was picking up all of the soot and smoke from the flaming city. She groaned as her white outfit slowly turned brown. She ripped off her tattered green cloak with a growl and threw it aside. The cloak had never helped her. She was better off without the stupid thing.

"Stupid rain," she muttered angrily, rubbing her wet fingertips together and feeling the gritty soot against her skin. Her green hair slowly became soaked and dull. She finally got grudgingly to her feet and took shelter beneath a fire-blackened awning. She sat against the brick wall of the building and stared coldly into the distance. So much for Em's Armageddon.

"So the deal was that we got the power drainer, and we were forced to wear the most revolting shade of orange imaginable," Raven sighed.

"Why don't you just change back now?" Falcon asked.

"Slade has eyes everywhere," Robin growled.

"What does it matter? You have the power drainer," Terra pointed out.

"Slade isn't stupid, we have to give him that," Cyborg said. "I guarantee that if one of us tries to take the suit off, something gruesome will happen. Well, in my case, if I take this chip out." Cyborg pointed at his arm. He had inserted a computer chip into his system, changing all of his blue circuitry to orange and black. Cliché? Oh yes.

"I'm surprised he hasn't sent outfits for all of you guys," Robin sighed miserably.

A few seconds later, one of Slade's robots marched up to them holding a box of orange and black outfits.

"You just had to say it, didn't you?" Cyborg grumbled.

"So, we have to put those on or something horrible will happen?" Terra asked, obviously frightened by the prospect of wearing Slade's colors once again.

"Basically," Slade's voice said. There was a speaker in the bottom of the box. How original. "There is a remote detonator in the power drainer. I can activate it whenever I want. After all Terra, you do look so lovely in orange."

Terra smashed the speaker. Nobody said a word for several seconds.

"There isn't one in there for me, is there?" Batman asked darkly.

"No, but there's one for Falcon," Raven said, tossing it to Jase.

"I guess you already wear enough black," Beast Boy pointed out.

Batman stared at him. "So you're the funny guy, huh?" he said in an eerily level voice.

"Okay, moving on," Raven cut in loudly. She began passing out the uniforms. "Now hurry up. We have a city to save."

"So we can push her out," Em said in a hollowly-awed sort of way.

"But it's risky," fire warned.

"And it will take some powerful spells," water added.

"Raven," electricity said quietly.

The rest of the elements remained silent. They knew it to be true. They needed Raven to force time out of Em's mind.

"That's what she wants, though," Em continued. "So it's good. She can finally be free. That's what she wants."

Fire wrapped an arm around Em's shoulders. "You are something else," she sighed in a very sisterly way.

"But we have no control," wind reminded them.

"So we can't go get Raven," light added.

"She'll have to come to us," gravity said.

"Well this is just peachy," darkness sighed.

"Thank goodness, we finally have a plan!" electricity said excitedly. Nobody else seemed quite as excited.

"So now we wait," Em said.

"So now we wait," fire consented. They all fell silent. Who knew how long this would take.

"So, we have a plan," Speedy sighed after they were all in costume.

"We have a plan," Raven said with a nod.

"So, we all distract her," Cyborg began.

"While Tweedle-Dumb and Tweedle-Dumber over here go in with the power drainer," Terra continued. These were the sort of affectionate nicknames she had given Mas and Menos. They hadn't gotten along at first, but they no longer took offense. They called her Chica Pollo anyway (Chicken Girl, referring to the fact that she was very blonde and very skinny), so it was an even trade.

"And then I go in and see what I can do," Raven finished. "If anything."

"Right, let's get moving," Robin said, standing up and pulling Starfire up with him.

"Last place we saw her was the park," Falcon said. So they all headed for the park. They hadn't planned on running into Em quite as quickly as they did.


	146. Let's Make It A Good One

**Chapter One-Hundred-Forty-Six:** Let's Make It A Good One

Em looked up at fire's door quickly.

"What is it?" fire asked.

"Something's happening," Em replied vaguely. "My heart just started beating like crazy."

"It's creepy how you do that," ice muttered.

"What do you think it is?" gravity asked excitedly.

"I think we might have just run into the Titans," she replied. She stood up and strode toward the door. "Let's go look."

They all exited fire's domain and gathered at the lake shore. Em passed a hand over the surface of the water. An image wavered into view. They were seeing through time's eyes. Em gasped.

"It's all of the Titans," she said. "And Batman. And… they're all wearing…"

"Slade uniforms…" fire said in a hushed sort of way.

"Now I'm confused," electricity sighed.

"Well well well, if it isn't the whole Dream Team," time said, sounding vaguely amused. The Titans froze. There she was, at the other end of the park.

"Alright guys, let's go," Robin said. "Remember, don't hurt her too badly. We just want to get close enough to drain her powers."

Everyone nodded and moved forward. Mas, Menos, and Raven hung back.

"So what do you guys think?" Raven asked, sounding thoroughly depressed.

"Loco," Mas said shortly. Raven sighed and nodded.

"Yeah, good call," she said apprehensively. She was afraid of what she would find in Em's mind.

"It may be crazy, but it's what has to be done," Batman said. Raven jumped. She hadn't noticed that he was standing next to her.

"Yeah, I know…" Raven trailed off.

"But?" Batman asked.

Raven stared at him for a moment. "I've been in her mind while it was in crisis before. She was going crazy. It was horrible. I…" she trailed off again. "I'm just worried that it'll be too much for me."

"Your father is Trigon, right?" Batman said suddenly. Raven was so shocked, she fell completely silent and several blocks of sidewalk behind her launched into the air.

"You're strong," Batman continued. "But you have control over that strength. You can handle it." With that, he walked forward and joined the fray.

"I can handle it…" Raven said quietly, sounding doubtful.

"Oh crap," Em said loudly.

"No kidding," water consented, staring wide-eyed at the image in the lake.

"They're not serious," fire said, shaking her head slowly.

"No way," wind said quietly.

"Yep, we're doomed," electricity sighed.

"They're all attacking? Every single one of them?" light inquired in disbelief.

"Yep," darkness replied.

"Peachy," earth said simply.

"What exactly is her plan now?" gravity asked shrilly.

"I guess we'll find out," Em replied. "You think she'll stop time or just try and take all of them?"

Fire vanished and time appeared in the center of the lake, concentrating hard and not paying any attention to them.

"Never mind," Em muttered.

Fire suddenly found herself facing down all of the Titans and Batman.

"Oh are you kidding me?" she asked her brain. "This is insane!"

"_You have no choice,"_ time reminded her.

"I hate you so much right now," fire muttered angrily.


	147. The Incredible Sinking Emily

**Chapter One-Hundred-Forty-Seven:** The Incredible Sinking Emily

The Titans (and Batman) surrounded Em. She stood quite calmly in the center. Time began speaking through fire.

"To what do I owe the pleasure?" she asked mildly.

"We have to take you down, Em," Robin said simply.

"I love the orange," she continued. "Where'd you buy it, American Ego?"

"Funny," Batman said levelly.

"What, back for more, Inspector Gadget?"

"_Very_ funny."

"Look, Em, I… uh…" Ace suddenly said. Em looked over at him. Her eyes widened. Fire suddenly threw off time for a second in her anger.

"You!" she shouted angrily, eyes blazing red. "How dare you talk to me?! How dare you even come near me?!? I swear, I'm gonna tear you to pieces you little-!"

She stopped suddenly as if she was choking. Her eyes flashed green for a second and she calmed down considerably.

"That's why we're here," Cyborg said. "We want you to come to terms with this."

Em snorted a little with derisive laughter. "Come on, you guys haven't figured it out yet?" she asked. "This life is a sham. It's just like one of Stormtrooper Boy's stupid magic tricks. Everything we do is just smoke and mirrors, and it ends in the great disappearing act. Yeah, not worth it."

"That's very glass-half-empty of you," Beast Boy said with a nervous laugh.

"Well, I can't truthfully tell you that death personified is the most optimistic person around," Em snapped back.

"So you won't surrender?" Robin asked.

"Do I look like I'm in the mood right now, Nazi Boy?" she replied.

"Titans, go!"

Raven winced. "It looks a lot more painful from the outside," she commented as the battle unfolded. Mas and Menos just looked at her. She shook her head. "Never mind."

They asked her when they should go. ((AN: I don't speak Spanish. Deal with it.))

"Not yet," Raven replied. She didn't speak much Spanish herself, but she could understand what they were saying. Mostly.

Em had fallen into a kind of rhythm. Jump, duck, blast, turn, block, sidestep, blast a few more times… she wasn't really thinking of anything but keeping herself alive. Of course, she wasn't sure the Titans were trying to kill her, but she didn't want to take the chance. She knew she wouldn't last much longer. She could hardly hold her own against Batman alone. But she would fight till her last breath. No holds barred.

"Ow, ow, ow, ow, ow," Em muttered through clenched teeth. Her heart was beating painfully fast. Every pump sent blood through her veins like ice cream through a coffee stirrer. It was a very unpleasant feeling.

"How are you doing?" water asked her worriedly.

"Can someone stop my heart please?" Em grumbled crossly in reply.

"That good, huh?" fire snorted a little.

Raven watched blankly. It was a terrible thing to see. Em, her friend, being ruthlessly attacked by the rest of her family, extended, immediate, or otherwise. Raven stood up a little straighter. Em missed a beat. Her knees hit the ground.

"Go!" she shouted to the twins. They took off without a word, circling Em at high speed with the power drainer in hand.

"Just a few more seconds…" Raven whispered to herself, eyes narrowing as she began to walk forward slowly.

Starfire. Em should have known she'd be the one to take her feet out from under her. She had been particularly nasty to her earlier. An eye for an eye. That didn't make it any less painful though.

"_No!"_ time shouted as fire fell. She hit the ground on all fours. She began to stand up, but suddenly she was surrounded not by the Titans, but by a red and white blur. Mas and Menos.

"I took you down before," fire growled. "I'll do it again." But she didn't. Something was wrong. She was on all fours again suddenly, coughing and gasping for breath. Her powers were fading, her strength gone. But that wasn't why she couldn't breathe. Something was happening that the Titans hadn't counted on.

"Stop!" Starfire shouted at the twins. "Stop, you are suffocating her!"

"Cyborg, why isn't she breathing?" Beast Boy asked shrilly.

"The high speed of Mas and Menos created a vacuum around Em," Cyborg replied. "There's no air where she is."

The twins finally slowed down and shouted something of distress.

Em, who was still on hands and knees, began coughing and gasping again as the air flooded back into her lungs. She made a horrible groaning sound as pain lanced through her lungs. Her heart still hadn't slowed down.

Raven was kneeling beside her in seconds. The Titans were gathered around.

"It was too much for her body to take," Raven muttered hastily. "She's fighting for her life. I don't understand. Why would time want to do this to herself?"

"She wants to be free," Batman said quietly.

The other Titans all looked over at him, but Raven didn't reply. She understood. She reached toward Em's shoulder.

"No!" Em choked out, grabbing her wrist. She was in her time element again. "No… I won't… be beaten… by you again… not again…" She made that terrible groan again and her grip on Raven's wrist slackened. In a few seconds, the only thing holding Em off the ground was Raven's arm.

Raven looked up at the Titans. "Well, this is it," she said shakily. "I'm going in."

"Is there anything we should do?" Robin asked, kneeling down on Em's other side with Cyborg, Starfire, and Beast Boy.

"Make sure neither of us move around too much," she replied. "And don't worry too much. If we look like we're in pain, it's because something's happening on the inside. There's nothing you'll be able to do. So… I just need you guys to wait."

"Alright, we'll see you later," Beast Boy said. Raven looked at him for a long moment. Then, without another word, she placed her hand over Em's forehead, whispered her mantra, and passed out of the waking world.

"So… now we wait?" Bumblebee asked.

"So now we wait," Robin sighed. Everyone sat down on the ground. This could take a while.


	148. Invisible

**Chapter One-Hundred-Forty-Eight:** Invincible

Raven didn't open her eyes. She knew she had made it into Em's mind. She was scared. She was truly, unavoidably scared. And something was bothering her. It was completely silent. The last time she had entered, there had been a huge battle going on. The times before that, there had been the sounds of wind in the trees and over the water. But this time, nothing. Raven took a deep breath and opened her eyes.

She gasped.

The entire place was standing still. The flames erupting from the forest, the waves rushing through the lake, even the lightning striking the ground was frozen in time.

"This can't be good," she sighed, and she began walking toward the lake. Her walk turned into a run, however, when she saw all of Em's elements crowded on the edge of the lake. When she got there, she found them all gathered around someone lying on the ground.

"Em…" Raven muttered. Her elements turned. "What happened to her?"

Fire suddenly leapt toward Raven, screaming. "What have you done to her?!" she shouted angrily as all of Em's elements tried to restrain her. Raven took a few surprised steps back.

"I…" Raven stopped and looked down. "There was an… accident." She looked past all of Em's elements and saw Em lying on the shore, taking shallow breaths.

"What kind of accident did this to her?!" fire screamed, lurching forward as she struggled with the other elements.

Raven quickly explained what had happened, her voice barely above a murmur. She had felt bad before, but this was terrible. She finished her tale and looked up again. Fire had stopped struggling.

"So… it was just an accident," she said quietly. Raven nodded. Fire suddenly broke free of the grasp of the other elements and tackled Raven to the ground. "You're telling me she nearly died because of a stupid mistake?!"

Water then did something nobody expected. She grabbed fire's shoulder and pulled her back off of Raven with unexpected force. Fire found herself on the ground a few feet away from Raven. Water turned and looked coldly at her.

"Raven came to help Em," she said in a deadly calm voice. "You won't attack her again."

Fire just stared at her in shock. Water offered Raven a hand. She pulled her to her feet and waited while Raven brushed some dirt off of her cloak.

"So… what do you need me to do?" Raven asked. The elements exchanged wary glances.

"We… aren't sure," ice admitted slowly. "But we did have one radical idea."

"It involves somehow getting time in here at the same time as all of us," water added. "But… we're not sure how to do it. We've never had everyone in Em's head at the same time. We don't know what will happen."

"Well... what about when she meditates?" Raven asked. "Aren't you all here then?"

"When Em meditates, only her consciousness comes here," fire explained grudgingly. "Now, she's all in. All that's left out there is her body. Empty shell."

"So... anything can happen," water said. "Something good... or something bad..."

"Well, we won't know until we try," Raven sighed. She sat down next to Em. All of her elements gathered around as well. Raven placed her hand over Em's forehead. Trying to get into someone's mind while already in their mind. Can't be a good idea.

Raven exhaled slowly and muttered her mantra. At first nothing happened. Then, before the eyes of Em's elements, time started up again in Em's mind, but it was as if everything was on rewind. The fire receded from the trees and the leaves reappeared. The lake became calm. The grass went from dead to green in seconds. But it didn't stop there. The trees began shrinking, and the lake started draining. Everything was going back to the beginning.

Then, one by one, the elements began to vanish. First went gravity, then darkness, then light, then earth, wind, ice, electricity, and water. Soon, Raven and fire were left sitting beside Em's motionless body in the middle of a blank white space.

"Whoa…" fire whispered.

Meanwhile, fifteen minutes had passed outside of Em's mind. Batman, Falcon, Ace, and the honorary Titans had wandered off to put out fires and start cleaning up the city. The sky was already beginning to clear. Beast Boy, Cyborg, Robin, and Starfire remained at Em's side. Cyborg noticed immediately when something started happening.

"Guys, look!" he shouted. They all opened their eyes. Em was hovering a few inches from the ground. Not only that, but she seemed to be slowly disappearing. Her hair turned from green to white and she started to seem slightly transparent.

"What could be going on in there?" Robin wondered out loud.

Time opened her eyes. She found herself sitting across from fire, staring at her over Em's seemingly lifeless body. Between them was Raven, motionless, with her hand over Em's forehead.

"Raven?" fire asked quietly. She didn't respond.

"She probably isn't here," time muttered crossly. "She's here physically, just not_ here_, you know?"

Fire looked at her sadly. "You sounded just like Em," she said. Time looked away. "I don't understand. We're the same person, you and I. What's so bad about being part of Em? She was our best friend, remember?"

"There are two sides of everything, fire," time said quietly. "If you feel that way, I have to feel the other way. Otherwise there isn't balance. It's just the way it has to be."

"No, it doesn't have to be this way," fire replied. She shrugged. "We've never followed the rules before. Why start now?"

Time shook her head desperately. "No, you don't get it. Sure we break little rules, we defy little things, but this is cosmic law. It isn't just set in stone. It _is_ the stone. There's nothing I can do."

"Well then I guess we're at a stalemate," fire said. "You won't let Em live, and I won't let her die. So what do we do now?"

Time shook her head. "I don't know…"

"Was this your great plan?"

"No."

"Killing Em would upset the balance too."

"I realize that now."

"Now? Great, so I could have just told you this earlier and avoided the whole mess."

"Doubt it."

"That makes me feel _so_ much better."

"I don't need the sarcasm right now."

"What do you need then?"

"Balance."

"Then… let's find it together."

Time looked up. Fire offered her a hand. Time looked at it warily. Could it really be this easy?


	149. We Could Be Heroes

**Chapter One-Hundred-Forty-Nine:** We Could Be Heroes

Time shook her head. Fire rolled her eyes and let her hand flop back to her side.

"What now?" she grumbled at her green-haired alter ego.

"There is no other way to settle this. Em will always have to deal with this struggle between us," time snapped back. "Look, either you back down, or I back down. That's all there is to it."

Fire nodded slowly. "So... I vote you back down," she said, raising her hand.

Time scowled. "Shut it. We settle this the old-fashioned way," she said seriously, extending her hand.

Fire stared at her. "Are you serious?" she asked dully.

"What, scared?"

Fire grabbed her hand. They both narrowed their eyes.

"Thumb war," time said levelly. "Standard rules. First one to hold down the other for three seconds wins."

"No powers, no abilities," fire continued. "Just thumbs."

Time nodded. "Agreed."

The Titans hadn't yet fallen back to sleep since Cyborg had woken them. So they were all awake when Raven slumped over sideways, eyes closed, breathing slowly. Beast Boy shouted in surprise. Starfire gasped.

"Raven? Raven?" Beast Boy said loudly, shaking her shoulders. She stirred, but she didn't wake up. Beast Boy sat back on his heels.

"Whatever is going on in there must be getting worse," he said worriedly.

"There must be something we can do," Starfire sighed.

"All we can do is be here when they wake up," Robin said.

Cyborg cast a wary glance at the floating, shimmering form of what used to be Em. "If they wake up," he corrected glumly.

"We've been going at this for ten minutes," fire growled, irritated. She was concentrating hard on her opponents thumb.

"You could surrender," time replied, equally annoyed.

"Not a chance," fire snapped.

It had been half an hour. The Titans had fallen asleep again. After such a trying sequence of events, no one could blame them. But when something happened, they all awoke. Raven started coughing. The Titans sat up quickly as Raven pushed herself up from the ground. She looked at them blearily, exhausted.

"What..." she began quietly. Her eyes fell upon Em, still transparent and hovering, and the color flushed from her face. "What's going on?"

"You passed out a little while ago. What happened in there?" Robin asked quickly.

"I..." she began slowly, not sure where to begin. Before she could say another word, a bright light caught her attention. She looked at Em again. She appeared to be solidifying before their eyes. A white light was shining from all around and within her, and it wasn't long before the Titans had to shield their eyes. When the light faded, Raven was the first to open her eyes.

"Em!" she gasped. The rest of the Titans looked up expectantly. There she was, lying on the ground, no longer a ghost or a shadow. Her hair was brown, and she was breathing calmly as though she was just sleeping.

"It is... really her?" Starfire whispered.

"It is," Cyborg said seriously, looking at the readings in his arm. He scooped her up into his arms as easily as he would a rag doll. "Come on, let's get her to the hospital."

"Why? She looks fine," Beast Boy said as he helped Raven to her feet.

"Yeah, on the outside," Cyborg replied darkly. "But the damage on her inside could be catastrophic."

"To the hospital it is, then," Beast Boy sighed, looking at Em sadly.

Robin and Starfire got slowly to their feet. The five Titans stopped and turned around, looking out at the city. Smoke was still rising from some buildings deep in the city, but there were no visible flames. Spaces of blue sky were even beginning to appear.

"Let's go," Robin said quietly.


	150. To Be Human

**Chapter One-Hundred-Fifty:** To Be Human

_Ow... ow... ow... ow... ow..._

Em opened her eyes. There was no buzzing in her head. No shouting. No screaming. Nothing was smoking or burning. In fact, it seemed rather nice, wherever she was. She was laying on something soft, and she was covered in warm blankets. The sky... or possibly the ceiling... was a soft blue color. Hmm... must be the ceiling. The sky was dark before. It couldn't clear up that fast.

"Ow..." she muttered, finally noticing the throbbing pain in her head that had woken her.

"Em?"

The elementress sat up slowly. A quick look around told her she was in a hospital bed. Weird. A hospital. Sitting around her bed in chairs that looked all-too-uncomfortable were Robin, Starfire, Cyborg, Raven, and Beast Boy. They were slowly rousing themselves from their sleep, and Raven was looking at her, wide-eyed.

"Hm?" Em murmured, looking back at her in confusion. Her brain was kind of foggy...

"Are you... I mean... is it actually you?" Raven asked warily.

Em stopped for a moment. "Uh... I don't know," she replied honestly. "Was I not?"

The Titans exchanged worried glances. "Do you remember anything that's happened?" Robin asked.

Em thought for a while. She shook her head slowly. "The last thing I remember is fighting Mumbo Jumbo and Johnny Rancid..."

The Titans were silent. "Em... that happened several weeks ago," Starfire said delicately.

Em stared. "What?"

"Your time element took over your mind," Cyborg said darkly.

"And you..." Beast Boy trailed off. He looked pale.

Em was now severely frightened. "What? What did I do?" she asked shrilly.

Robin rubbed his temples tiredly. "You destroyed the city, Em."

"...What?"

"Look out the window."

Em hesitantly got to her feet. She was dreading what she might see. With one last glance back at the Titans, she ripped the curtains apart.

"Oh my god... What have I done?" She sat heavily at the edge of her bed, staring blankly out the window. The sun was streaming into the city, but it seemed sorrowful somehow. The smoke and fire had been gone for two weeks, and the people of the city were starting to rebuild. But it would be a very, very long time before life began to return to normal.

"Em..." Raven began sadly, not sure what to say.

Em closed her eyes. "Tell me everything."

It took a long time for them to relate what had happened to her. By the end, Em felt extremely sick.

She looked miserably at all of the Titans. They were looking at her with so much concern it made her want to scream. She felt tears rising behind her eyes. She looked down quickly.

"I've come to realize," she began slowly. "That the more you think like a hero, the more you become a hero. The same things run through your head. Every day has a purpose. Every moment you live, someone is in danger, and you have to do something about it. You save everyone you know you can, and then go back to save everyone you know you can't. You have no fear. You have no weakness. You are invincible. There is no 'if I fail' or 'if I can't.' You can. You will."

She paused, silent. "But there comes a time when that 'if' suddenly exists," she continued after a short wile. "That's when you have to stop thinking like a hero…"

The Titans stared at her silently, having no idea what to say.

"…and start thinking like a human-being again."

Em finally looked up a little. "But I can't," she said, sounding almost hollow. "I just can't be a human. I can't put myself among the ranks of the good and the normal. I'm a monster. Look what I've done to this city. Look what I've done to you!"

She took another moment to breathe before she went on in the same quiet voice. "I've always been a walking contradiction, and now that the human has caught up with the hero, I've realized how exhausting it is," she began to speak more slowly. "I've spent thirteen years as a physical impossibility, and now, I'm just _tired_."

The room was silent for a long time. Then, Robin spoke up.

"So... what are you going to do?"

Em looked out the window again. "I'm going to take a walk."


	151. Dust To Dust

**Chapter One-Hundred-Fifty-One: **Dust to Dust

Em walked slowly through the deserted streets of Jump City. Or rather the ruins of Jump City. The day was still young, so there wasn't any activity yet. She knew she'd have to get back to the hospital before the workers returned. She couldn't face them. Not yet.

She heaved a sigh. "What have I done?" she said quietly, looking around. The city seemed grey. Everything was burned and hollow. It was as though the city had been under water for a thousand years and then forced back out into the sun. Everything was covered in dust. She had never seen so much dust in her life.

Em scuffed her boots through the inch of dust on the street. Her eyes settled on a tiny set of paw prints in the debris. Curious, she followed the little trail around a corner. She looked around for a few moments and her gaze fell upon a tiny black kitten sleeping among the rubble. She crouched down in front of it.

"Hey little guy," she said quietly, extending her hand toward him. He cringed away from her at first, but then came forward and sniffed her fingertips with his little pink nose. She smiled a little and picked him up. He could fit easily in one of her hands.

"Why are you here all by yourself?" she wondered aloud. Then it dawned on her. "Oh... I guess it's my fault..." She frowned and lifted him to her eye level. "Sorry."

He made a small mewling noise and looked at her curiously through big golden eyes. She smiled a little. "Come with me. I'll get you something to eat," she said simply, holding the little cat to her chest and taking off into the air. "You know, you're the first sign of life I've seen in the whole city since... I killed everything..."

A few minutes later, she landed back in her hospital room. Raven was the only one still there. The others had gone off to help the restoration. The cloaked Titan looked curiously at the kitten in Em's arms.

"Make a new friend?" she asked with a small smile.

Em nodded. "Yeah... I found him in an alley all by himself. I figure I kind of owe him..." she replied.

"Em... what about your old friends?" Raven asked slowly. Em looked over at her and set the kitten down on her bed, where he promptly made a nest of her pillow and fell asleep.

"Old friends? You mean you guys?" she replied.

"I mean your elements, Em," Raven said simply. "Have you been into your mind since you woke up?"

"No..." Em looked at her feet and cleared her throat. "I don't want to."

"Em, you have to go in there," Raven said sharply.

"I don't want to!" Em repeated sternly. "I..."

"You're afraid of what you'll find."

Em nodded slowly. "Can you blame me?" she muttered dully.

"I'll watch the cat," Raven said, sounding for all the world like a mother. "You go in and talk to yourself."

Em sighed and settled herself on the floor. "Fine... but if I'm not back in fifteen minutes-"

"Just go!"

Em hesitantly opened her eyes. She was sitting once again by her lake. It looked perfectly normal. Calm, clear water, sunlight, brightly colored trees...

"...Em."

Em stood up quickly and turned around, expecting the worst. Standing before her was none other than fire.

"You... you okay?" fire asked quietly, frowning.

Em stared at her for a long while. Fire shifted her weight uncomfortably. Em pounced on her, tackling her in a fierce hug.

"Whoa, what the-" fire began in surprise.

"I'm so glad you're okay!" Em burst out.

"Em..."

"I mean I... don't know what I would have done without you..."

"I'm your Conscience, not your mom."

"Oh would you just shut up and let yourself be hugged?"

"...I'm glad you're okay too."

"Em!"

Em and her red-headed conscience turned around. Her elements were bearing down upon her like a rainbow tidal wave. In a few seconds, she found herself in the middle of an eighteen-armed group hug. She couldn't stop the tears in her eyes.

"I'm really glad you're all okay..." she muttered, wiping her eyes on the back of her hand.

"...Em."

Em got up on her toes and looked over the heads of gravity and electricity. Time was standing awkwardly behind them, arms crossed over her chest and a rather blank look on her face. Em stepped toward her.

"Yeah?"

Time sighed. "That was stupid, what you did," she began quietly. "Giving me control like that. You should have known better. I... well I guess... I mean, I... I should have known better." She sighed again and looked down. "You're truly good at heart, Em. I tried to change it by taking control, but it threw you out of whack and... I just wanted to be free."

Em frowned sadly. "I'm sorry you aren't free, time," she said. "I wish I could help, but I can't. Not without dying. And it may be selfish, but..." She smiled half-heartedly. "I don't think I'm quite ready to die yet."

Time nodded. "Yeah... I get that," she sighed. She glanced up at fire. "Well I guess... I'll just have to help that idiot keep your brain in check. We are the same person, after all. I won't have to like it, but... I have to help you. It's my job. I'm just... sorry it took me so long to get the gist out of all the white noise..."

Em smiled. "It's okay," she said reassuringly.

"I'm not an idiot," fire grumbled under her breath. Electricity started laughing.


	152. Learing To Fly

**Chapter One-Hundred-Fifty-Two:** Learning To Fly

Em sat in her bedroom back at the Tower the next day. The honorary Titans were staying at the Tower. Batman and Falcon were too. Robin was extremely uncomfortable with the setup.

"Knock knock."

Em turned around. Batman, in full uniform, was at her door. Em turned back to the window and drew her knees up to her chin.

"So... what, you always in Bat mode when visiting guests?" she asked quietly.

To her great surprise, he sat down next to her on the floor.

"You know full well that people would start to put two and two together if Bruce Wayne visited the Teen Titans while Batman was in Jump City."

"Secret identities are so tiresome," Em replied uninterestedly. "Robin is the only one on the team who has one. But he kind of... threw Richard away when he came here. He's just Robin now."

"Apparently," Batman said.

"So what do you want?"

"It was the disk, right? Finding out about Ace."

Em looked down. "Yeah."

"I didn't think that would be such a problem."

"It wasn't," Em paused. "It was just... everything. That was the last straw. Life just got to be too much."

"I know the feeling."

Em glanced at him. He looked over at her.

"So what are you going to do?" he asked.

"...Leave," she said quietly.

"Running away?"

Em looked down again. "No, I'm not running away," she continued. "I'm doing what's best for the city... and my friends."

"I suppose I understand that," Batman admitted. "But you're leaving for yourself, too."

Em shrugged. "Kind of, I guess," she sighed. "I just need to sort things out. And I can't here. Not with this constant reminder of what I've done."

"Well, everyone needs some time alone," Batman replied. "When are you leaving?"

Em looked up at him, startled. "You mean you're not going to tell me I'm a coward and talk me out of it?"

Batman shook his head. "There are some problems you can't face head on. It's a lesson every young hero needs to learn. And you've learned it a lot sooner than I expected. Even Robin has trouble with it."

Em nodded, taking the praise into stride. "I'm leaving in a few days. Just... don't tell anyone. I want to enjoy my time with them. They're... my family, you know?"

"I understand." Batman got to his feet. Em remained on the floor.

"Thanks," she said.

"There's someone here to see you," he said as he walked out the door.

Em turned around again. She smiled a little. "Hey Star."

Starfire beamed at her and sat down. "How are you feeling?" she asked quietly.

"I'm okay, you know... considering."

Starfire nodded a little. They lapsed into silence for a minute before Starfire looked down.

"I am... sorry..." she muttered.

Em looked at her, confused. "What for?"

"I couldn't help you," she sighed.

"Starfire..."

The Tamaranian's eyes filled with tears as she stared at the ground. Em wrapped an arm around her shoulders and pulled her into a hug.

"It wasn't your fault," Em said quietly. "You did more than I could have asked. You believed in me, Star. You knew I would get through this, and you didn't give up. Thanks."

Starfire finally smiled again. "I am glad you are my sister," she muttered. Em smiled.

"Me too," she replied.


	153. Happiness Runs

**Chapter One-Hundred-Fifty-Three:** Happiness Runs

"No way, no way, no- Augh, dangit!"

Cyborg and Em high fived as Beast Boy howled in defeat, tossing his gamestation controller away as though it had betrayed him.

"You boys up for another round?" Em asked with a grin.

"Bring it on!" Cyborg shouted.

They both turned to Beast Boy. He sighed. "Fine."

Cyborg started a new game on Mega Smash Judo Melee Match. They had been playing for a while, since it was Cyborg and Beast Boy's day off from city clean-up. Robin had set up a schedule. All of the Titans and honorary Titans were out cleaning up, but Robin decided that two should stay at the Tower to watch the computers for crime. And Em was allowed to stay at the Tower and recover for a while, considering she had been thrashed by every Titan in the northern hemisphere and Batman, so she was on crime watch too.

Halfway through the furious battle, Cyborg said quietly without stopping, "You okay?"

Beast Boy glanced over at her without saying anything.

Em smiled a little. "Yeah. I'm uh... getting there."

They all fell silent for several moments, eyes glued to the TV screen.

"Good," Beast Boy said. Cyborg nodded.

Em smiled. In their own small way, Cyborg and Beast Boy were telling her they cared. And it was more than she could have asked for.

"Thanks, guys."

"Ow, son-of-a-!"

"That's another win for me, then," Robin cut Em off quickly with a laugh, offering her a hand. She grumbled a little as he helped her to her feet.

The next day was Robin and Starfire's day off. Starfire was showering, so Robin and Em had headed to the gym to spar for a while. Robin had, for the third time, swept her feet out from under her and sent her to the ground on her butt.

"You know my coccyx can only take so much punishment," she muttered, rubbing her sore behind for a moment. "And I'm getting a serious wedgie, thanks."

"Too much information," Robin said quickly, holding up his hands.

Em smiled in a pained sort of way. She sat down by the wall of the gym. Robin took his place beside her and took a drink from a water bottle.

"So how are things with you, Robin?" Em asked, smiling.

Robin shrugged. "I've been kind of busy, you know..." he mumbled evasively. Em looked down a little.

"Yeah..."

"But otherwise things are good," he said quickly. "I'm... happy. We're happy."

Em smiled. "We as in... you and Star?"

"Yeah."

"Good. I'm proud of you."

Robin looked at her. "Huh?"

"You really did it, the two of you," Em said with a grin. "You've made it through everything together. Slade, Amnesiac, even Batman. She actually forgot about you, and you still got through. And you've only broken up once. That's amazing. That's real..."

"Um... thanks?"

Em rolled her eyes at him. "I don't think you realize what an accomplishment that is. For you in particular. Remember what you were like when I got here? Remember Mister Obsessive Compulsive? Mister Martyr? Yeah, I remember that guy," she snorted. Robin wasn't sure whether to be offended or not, so he remained silent. "But look at you now. Look was Starfire has done for you. She's made you a new person."

"Yeah... I guess you're right," Robin muttered thoughtfully.

"Of course I'm right," Em scoffed, getting to her feet. "I'm always right."

Robin shook his head. "You've got me there," he said, smiling.

The third day since Em had woken up in the hospital found Em at the Tower again, joining Raven and Bumblebee on their day off. Bee was still asleep, as far as Em knew, and she had a distinct feeling that Raven was meditating. So Em simply wandered the halls for the morning. As she passed Raven's door, however, it slid open, revealing the cloaked Titan, hood up and an expression of great worry on her face.

Em stopped. "Raven?"

Raven stepped into the hallway and looked at Em for a long moment. "I'm sorry," she said quietly at long last, voice not betraying her emotions. "I'm so sorry. I was supposed to protect you. I was supposed to stop time from doing this to you."

Em fell into a surprised silence, staring at her friend. She was looking at her feet.

"Raven..." Em began, not sure what to say. "It's okay. You don't need my forgiveness."

Raven seemed to be thinking hard for a moment before she moved forward and hugged the still surprised Em. Em just smiled and hugged her back.

Raven backed away from her quickly and straightened her cloak. She smiled a little in embarrassment.

"I just wanted you to know I was sorry," she said quietly.

Em nodded. "Yeah... I know." She smiled. "You're one of a kind, Raven."

Raven shrugged, characteristic apathetic look back in place. "So I've been told."

She smiled a little and went back into her room. Em kept walking through the halls, stopping at a window and staring out at the dust of Jump City. She sighed.

"I'll miss this place..."


	154. The Friend

There is an epilogue after this, so it's not the end. But it's close.**  
**

* * *

**Chapter One-Hundred-Fifty-Four:** The Friend

"Em... please don't."

"I'm sorry, Robin. I have to. It's just... time."

For the second time in so many years, Em was standing on the roof of Titans Tower with a bag over her shoulder. This time, however, there was a small black kitten in her arms, and Falcon was standing beside the other five Titans.

Em smiled sadly at them. "I need to go someplace... else. I need to find my own way of controlling my mind. Face it guys, I'm... dangerous," she said frankly.

"We can help you," Starfire blurted out.

Em smiled. "You already have," she replied. "In more ways then you know." She stopped and looked over at Jase. He wasn't looking at her. "I'll be right back," she said to the Titans, taking Jase's hand and moving to the edge of the roof.

"Don't," she said sternly, looking up at him.

"Don't what?" he grumbled, glaring at her.

"Pout," she grumbled back. "Big scary broody grumpy face Jase."

"Very funny."

"No, it really wasn't. Sorry, that was some of my worst work."

Jase laughed before he could stop himself. Em smiled.

"There you are," she said quietly. "Good morning, Sunshine."

Jase pulled her to him in a fierce hug. "I'll-" he began.

"No, you won't come with me," Em cut him off. He held her at arm's length and frowned at her. She continued, unperturbed. "You've got a good thing going in Gotham City. Just look where Robin is now. You could train yourself up and someday return, kick his butt and usurp the Teen Titans."

Jase pretended to think about it.

"Okay... maybe not that," Em added as an afterthought. He smiled again and Em kissed him. It was very short and quick, like it was something she did every day. "Love you."

Jase sighed and hugged her again. "You too."

Em closed her eyes, content for a moment or two. She sighed and pulled away.

"I need to say goodbye," she said quietly.

Jase glanced at the Titans. "Yeah, you do," he consented. With one last quick kiss, he left. Em smiled sadly after him.

"Charming..." she muttered before walking back to the Titans.

"Well, first, I'd like to introduce you to my new traveling buddy," she said, gesturing toward the sleeping kitten at her feet. "I named him Cat."

"Breakfast At Tiffany's," Raven said with a small smile. "Nice."

Em grinned. "I thought so," she replied. She stepped over the cat and stopped in front of Cyborg. She drew herself up to her full height and was still dwarfed by him.

"I imagine if I had a big brother, he'd be a lot like you," she said with a grin. He opened his mouth to speak, but she beat him to the punch. "Yes, he would be a smooth-talking half-robot with a can of whoop-ass in each fist."

"Man, you've been spending too much time with me," Cyborg laughed as he leaned down and hugged her.

She leaned back and put a hand on his shoulder. She had to stand on her toes to do so. "Maybe, but I'm sorry I never got to know you as well as I'd like," she said. "But I know enough. You're a good man." She smiled when he cocked an eyebrow. "Yes, man. And a little advice. Bumblebee sure has an eye for you. Hold on to her, okay?"

Cyborg pulled her into another hug. "I'll be sure to do that," he said.

Em turned and looked at Beast Boy. She grinned at him. "Beast Boy, there's hope for you yet," she said with a light laugh. "You just have to stop trying to piece things together up here," she said pointing at his head. "And let them all fall into place down here." She pointed at his heart. She glanced pointedly at Raven. "And please, don't do anything stupid."

"I can't make any promises, but I'll work on it," he replied.

Robin and Starfire knew they were next before she walked over to them. "I don't even need to tell you, do I?" she said simply. "You know, I really hope I get a chance to feel the way you do about each other. And if luck is on my side, I will."

Starfire nodded, then launched herself on Em in a bone-crushing hug. She just laughed. "Star... Don't ever change, okay? You're perfect as you are."

"I will try not to," Starfire replied, smiling.

Starfire finally let go, so Em turned to Robin. She put her hands on his shoulders and looked at him carefully. "Try not to hurt yourself," she said with a smile. He stuck out his hand for her to shake, but she grabbed him and hugged him. He blushed a little and Starfire tried to stifle a laugh.

She finally turned and looked at Raven. Her hood was up and she wasn't looking at her. Em frowned a little.

"Raven... Raven," she said, placing her hands on her shoulders to get her attention. Raven glared at her. Em rolled her eyes. "Don't pretend to be mad at me, Raven," she said. "I know when you're lying." Raven didn't reply.

"Raven, I want to thank you," Em said, sounding as though she was trying not to cry. "I've changed so much since I became a Titan... and a lot of it is thanks to you. I always wanted a sister as a kid, and I'm really glad I found one."

Raven bit her lip, and Em could see that she was fighting with her emotions.

"Don't be afraid of your inner demons, Raven," she continued quietly. "When I look at you, I don't see darkness. I don't see the daughter of Trigon. I see an amazing girl with a best friend or two, a great big brother, and a weirdo who cares about her more than anything. You've got a good thing going for you." She hugged her tightly.

"I'll miss you," she muttered.

"I'll miss you too," Raven said quietly.

Em pulled away and looked at them all. She smiled softly.

"I love you guys," she said quietly. "You're the only real family I've ever known, and I'm so grateful for that. You've taught me so much, and I just hope that maybe I taught you something too."

"Don't be stupid, Em," Raven said with a smile. "You taught us how to live."

Em didn't know what to say. She wiped the beginnings of tears from her eyes quickly and picked up her cat.

"Here," Robin said quickly, offering her communicator back to her. Em just shook her head.

"No... I can't take that," she said quietly. "I'm not ready to be a Titan anymore. Look out for me, though. I'll be back. Someday."

She lifted a few feet off the ground. "Bye," she said simply.

The Teen Titans stood in a line on the roof of their home, a tower in the shape of a 'T', and watched Emily Sanders fade into the distance.

Em, the Second Sixth Titan, was gone.

Maybe Starfire was right. Maybe I do understand life a little better than everyone else. But I know that it's just because the world looks different to me. I look at the same things as everyone else, but I see something different.

Maybe if everyone tried, just once or twice, to see something they don't usually see, we could start to see in living color for the first time.

Everyone in existence has a voice, and everyone, deep down, wants that voice to be heard. So maybe if we all stop and listen to everyone else, we could start to improve.

And maybe, if we all just take a moment to stop and look around, we can change the world.

Some people try. Some people fail. And sometimes, our lives are shattered by things we don't know and don't understand.

But after it's all over and done with, the storm passes on. The skies clear. We begin to rebuild. That's when life is supposed to return to normal. It never really does, but we tell ourselves it will. And that's how we get by, day by day. We tell ourselves little lies in hopes that they will become true. Maybe someday, they will. But it all depends on the choices we make.

Every person on this earth has a future, and these futures are decided by a thousand tiny decisions we make every day. Sure, they seem insignificant at the time, but after a while, they build up and make us who we are. A thousand paths lie before us, and the smallest thought or feeling will send us careening down one of many.

This is how we learn.

This is how we love.

This is how we live.

This is my story, and it's only just begun.


	155. Such Great Heights

Well, here it is. The final chapter. It's quite a relief, actually. To finally be done with it after almost three years. Or four years. I can't remember. Anyway, thanks for all the reviews. See ya!

* * *

**Epilogue:** Such Great Heights

"Guys?" Raven said as she walked into the main room. The other four Titans turned and looked at her. The team had changed a lot in the five years since Em had left. They were all in their early twenties, and they were no longer the Teen Titans. They were just the Titans.

Robin had gotten much taller. He wore a uniform of black with a blue bird emblazoned across the chest. His hair was growing out, hanging near his shoulders, but he kept it in a ponytail. He was formally called Nightwing, but the team still called him Robin.

Starfire had barely changed. She had grown up quite a bit physically, but she was still light-hearted and joyous, and still wore plenty of purple. Perfect as she was, as Em put it. She and Robin had been married for just over a year. The couple had been quite sad that Em hadn't come to their wedding, but not surprised since they had no idea where she was and therefore no idea where to send an invitation. Raven had sensed a familiar aura somewhere in the area for a minute or two, but it was drowned out by Starfire's insane happiness and Robin's excitement. And Cyborg could have sworn he saw a strange young woman at the back of the sanctuary for just a moment.

Beast Boy had grown. He had some actual muscle and was nearly as tall as Robin. But he was still green and still mischievous. He had moved on from his purple attire, leaving the Doom Patrol behind him and adopting a new red and white uniform. Though he was known publicly as Changeling, the team still called him BB.

Cyborg, if possible, had gotten even more imposing. His human half had kept growing from his teenage years, and he modified his robot half to match. He had mellowed a lot, but he still couldn't resist an eating contest or a bout of video games.

Raven had matured and grown as well, though she looked the most unchanged of all of them. Her hair was long, and she wore a white cloak over her black uniform. She remained quiet and understated, but anyone who knew her could tell that she was happy.

"What is it, Raven?" Robin asked.

"I'm not sure," she replied slowly. "Something... I think we should head to the city."

The Titans didn't argue. They all piled into the T-Car and sped off into the heart of Jump City. Raven gazed pensively out the window.

"We're close, park here," she said when they neared the shopping district. The sidewalks were crowded with people out for lunch or a day of walking and window-shopping. Raven began moving slowly down the sidewalk with the Titans close behind her. Her dark eyes slid over the crowd, trying to find what had been calling to her mind.

Then, she felt it. She stopped in her tracks and turned, gazing across the street. There was a young woman that stood out of the crowd on the opposite sidewalk. She was strolling along at a leisurely pace, bouncing a little as though she were dancing to some music in her head. Raven tilted her head a little in bewilderment.

The girl was slim and about the same height as her, not an inch over 5' 6". Long brown hair cascaded down to her lower back, shining in the midday sun. A dark blue bucket hat was clamped down over her head, casting the upper half of her face into shadow. She would occasionally pull the brim down over her dark sunglasses. All she was wearing was a white wife beater and some old jeans that looked a little too long for her, nearly covering her completely bare feet. An unassuming black messenger bag was slung across her shoulder. Her forearms clinked and jangled with bracelets, five on each arm, each one a different color. Red, blue, yellow, light blue, grey, brown, white, black, purple, and green. A simple black choker could be seen around her neck from under the long thin scarf she wore that hung down to her knees and fluttered behind her as she walked. Slinking along behind her like a shadow was a thin black cat.

Raven's eyes widened. The Titans all turned and looked at the girl. She stopped in her tracks, looked around for a moment, then turned and looked straight at them. She reached up and hooked a finger over her sunglasses, pulling them down the bridge of her nose to get a better look at the Titans. Raven gasped as her gaze met a very familiar pair of ghost white eyes. The girl smiled and walked across the street, stopping in front of them.

"Hey guys," she said easily. After a moment, she raised an eyebrow, hands on her hips. "Um, all this staring can stop anytime now."

Raven finally spoke.

"Em," she said slowly.

"Raven," she replied. "How've you been?"

"Not so good, actually," she said. "A good friend of mine has been missing for five years. Any idea where I can find her?"

Em smiled. "She might be closer than you think."

Raven stared at her for a moment. Then, she grabbed Em in a ferocious hug. Em laughed.

"Missed you," she said, hugging the empath tightly.

Raven pulled back and held her at arm's length. She smiled. "Welcome home, Emily Sanders."

Em grinned and hugged her again. She looked over Raven's shoulder at the rest of the Titans, smiling at her. She finally let go of Raven and faced all of them.

"So, who are you people and what have you done with the Teen Titans?" she asked, smirking.

Starfire let out a shriek of laughter and launched herself forward, grabbing Em in a hug that was noticeably less bone-crushing than she remembered. Em pulled back from her, confused. Starfire just smiled, waiting for her to notice. When she did, Em's eyes went wide. She looked between Robin and Starfire quickly, an enormous smile spreading on her face.

"Oh my god!" she finally shrieked, pulling Starfire into another hug. "Oh my _god!_ Star, look at you! How far along are you?"

"Seven months," Starfire laughed, overjoyed by Em's reaction.

Robin beamed. "Yep, a little girl," he said quietly.

Em pulled back and looked at him. "A girl? Coming from you two, she's going to be beautiful! And Star, wow, you look amazing. I can only tell from the side..."

"We are going to name her Annie," Starfire said with a smile.

Em stopped, staring at them. Her eyes went wide and she didn't seem to know what to say. "Oh... you don't have to..."

"We were going to name her Emily, but we figured it would be confusing if you came back," Robin added.

Em was speechless. She just smiled and gave Robin a hug, needing to stand on her toes to do so.

"The wedding was beautiful, by the way," Em added mysteriously as she pulled away from the two of them. They looked at each other in surprise before breaking into nearly identical smiles.

Em was in the process of sizing up Cyborg. "So what... you're like twelve feet tall now?" she joked, punching him in the elbow because it was closer than his shoulder.

"Seven feet and proud of it," Cyborg replied, placing a hand on her head and crouching down. "Looks like you haven't grown an inch."

Em drew herself up to her full height. "I happen to have grown three inches, thank you," she sniffed, unable to restrain her grin. He bent down and wrapped her in a big metal bear hug.

"Great to have you back," he said quietly.

"Great to be back."

Finally, she turned to Beast Boy. He was smiling mischievously at her.

"Changeling, is it?" she asked sarcastically, smirking.

"For you, it's still Beast Boy," he replied smoothly, wiggling his eyebrows.

Em laughed. "You haven't changed much, have you? I mean, apart from the growth spurt," she muttered. "I actually have to look up to you now."

Beast Boy just kept grinning. "I have a surprise for you too," he blurted out. Em tilted her head a little, raising an eyebrow. "It's on Raven's finger."

Em whirled around to face Raven, who smiled shyly and held out her left hand. Em grabbed it, stared for a few seconds, and let out a scream that made passers-by stare. She was once again hugging Raven.

"Oh my _god_ you're getting _married!_" she shrieked. Raven was rather alarmed and didn't know what to say, so she just smiled. Em whirled around again and lunged at Beast Boy, hugging him too. "You're engaged! Oh my _god!_"

Em stood facing the Titans again, unable to stop smiling. She looked at all of them. Robin with his arm around the waist of Starfire, his pregnant wife. Cyborg, an already proud uncle with a hand on Starfire's shoulder. Raven with her hand in Beast Boy's. And she just kept smiling.

"Here," Robin said suddenly, holding something out to her. Em looked at it for a moment before taking it into her hands, smiling as though recalling a fond memory. It was her old communicator. "That belongs to you."

Em looked up at them again. "Well," she said after a while. "Looks like you have a Second Sixth Titan again."

The Titans smiled. Em scooped Cat up from the ground and turned toward the bay. Shining in the evening sun was her home, Titans Tower. Someone tugged on her shoulder and she turned. Raven smiled at her.

"Come on," Robin called, waving her toward the T-car where the rest of the Titans were already headed.

"Let's go home," Raven said quietly.

Em smiled. "Yeah... let's go home," she agreed, following the Titans to the car.

As soon as she was buckled in, the Titans began pelting her with questions. Where had she been? What was she doing? How was she? Anything big happen?

So Em began to tell her story.

But in the back of her mind, she wasn't thinking about the past five years.

She was thinking about the place she would be sleeping that night. Her bed in her room in her Tower surrounded by her family.

Her family.

Emily Sanders smiled contentedly.

Em, the Second Sixth Titan, was finally home.

Fin.


End file.
